Enter to win $500, plus $500 for the charity Quilts for Kids!

I have volunteered as a tutor for students who are unable to afford extra lessons after school and my family as a whole has helped in various fundraisers whether it is through the education system or at church :)

One of my favorite organizations to give back to is the rescue agency that we adopted our Heidi from.  They are a great organization and without them we wouldn't have found our little sunshine!

We collect slightly used shoes and slightly worn school clothes for the schools in our area.  We have a school uniform policy and it really helps the needy because kids grow so fast.

I am the Co-ordinator of the Appalachian Helping Hands clothes closet in Greeneville, TN. We distribute like new/new clothing, household items, school supplies, furniture, diapers, detergent etc at no cost. to anyone who comes to AHH in need of a helping hand. We celebrated our 6th year anniversary last month. It is good to be able to help! Thanks! senekers@comcast.net

I make a difference in my community by looking out for neighborhood animals.  I have adopted more than one stray cat and if I see a pet wandering, I bring it home with me, comfort it and post it on craigslist to find the owner.  If there is no owner to be found, I find a home for it or adopt it myself! I make sure the wildlife is fed where I live, including Raccoons, Squirrels, and birds.  I love animals like they were my children, every creature needs love and a place to be :D

I have taught my children to give to those who are less fortunate than you.  They routinely go through their toys and clothes and give away what they no longer use.  We take the items to Goodwill. We have also helped out at the local food kitchen serving food.

I just try to help out wherever I can when there is a need.

we donate tons of things and food items to a local group that gives the items out free to local people, and always feel better knowing a bit of help is spreading around here.

Every season we go through our kids clothing and weed out the clothes that are too small and we donate them to GoodWill. We also donate furniture and books too. Makes more sense to us to pass it along then to throw it away and it teaches our kids to do the same with their toys and books.

I volunteer weekly at a local Humanitarian center where I tie quilts, put together hygiene kits and more. 

I am also starting a community garden this summer to help the community eat better.  In addition to letting people rent plots, I'll save some of the land so I can grow food for the food bank.

I have helped in our community by volunteering for our local AARF animal shelter.  Great way to give back

I have made a difference in my community by volunteering at church.

feed the need is another one of my responsibilites now, i start this when i was still you, until know, law of karma proves that positive things and returned to those who give.

I volunteer at my kids' school every opportunity I can.  I give music and art presentations, serve on PTA committees and help the teacher in the classroom.  If a volunteer is needed, I pitch in.  I also volunteer at scouts and religious education as needed.

We clean up our road.  Our road is a notorious dumping site.  It's not rural but quiet at night and a perfect spot for dumpers. 

The city, lacking funds and time for everyone, appreciates that we take our time on the weekends to clean up.  We're able to leave large items and bags in a pile and the city will send someone by to gather them up. 

Recyclables are set aside for a local boy who is saving for school.  He helps us too, good kid.

We also donate to two local pantries and clothing drives.  It feels good to do good things.

our family volunteers at the local food bank on a regular basis

I donate time at our local thrift store.  Their profits go to fund many social services in our area.

I am the leader of a 1st grade girl scout troop and we get the girls involved by having them donate items to different places.  So far we have made blankets and given them to an organization called project night night.  We have also made baking baskets and donated them to the local womens shelter, and we have made doggie beds for the humane society.

I've made fleece blankets for the kids in our local Children's Hospital and I also head up a group of friends to make & serve meals to the families staying at the Ronald McDonald House while their children are hospitalized. 

I work locally in our new school for children with autism.  I make a change everyday I show up for do and help these children.

I volunteer at my local animal shelter by walking dogs.  There are so many animals there, and the shelter staff has a hard time keeping up.  The volunteers there make sure that at least each animal can get some exercise and socialization each day.

In a town so small as to not even have a movie theater or grocery store the kids of the community had nothing to do and some started getting in to trouble. I volunteered to coach little league baseball to give them something to occupy their time. Everyone enjoyed playing and I enjoyed it as well but most importantly the kids felt a part of something and were kept busy away from temptations from always being bored.

I've volunteered for health programs in the community...and in a month we're going to build a house with Habitat for Humanity as well.

I feel that since we don't have the financial means to support community organizations that volunteering my time is the best thing I can give right now.  My husband and I both volunteer at our church in different ministries.  One of my favorite ministries to contribute to is outreach.  The subdivision that I live in has a lot of crime and poverty and helping with the food drives and by donating items to the salvation army I can help with what I already have.  

Both my husband and I have also volunteered on the board with our local Little League and our children's schools.

We actually do a few different things.  The local food bank and shelters for battered women we work with either by donating or visiting. Dog rescues! We donate everything we can to dog rescues because so often they are over looked. Lastly, we also have gathering for the families that have parents that are deployed overseas. Either a day of fun time or an evening movie to help bring normal to their lives....

I volunteer with my church and community groups providing help at the local women's shelter, food bank, and animal rescue groups.

I trry to help all childen, They are ou future

I try to help out by walking, rather than driving, to the grocery store and picking up garbage along the way.

I'm a teacher and the advisor for our Student Government. One of our biggest efforts of the organization to help not only our local neighborhood and those in need, but also to help globally.  This year, we have held numerous food drives, aided a family who lost their home to a fire, and held a fundraiser for Haiti.  Besides teaching the children, being part of this organization has been one of the most rewarding!

Trying to make a difference in my community by spreading the word about cloth diapers, which help Mom's tremendously financially and helps our earth, too.

I volunteer at our nearby school's after school tutoring program to help those kids that need extra attention.

I'm very interested in causes related to literacy and reading, and so I try to volunteer as much as possible in my community.  I am part of an adult literacy program at the local library, at which I help teach free courses on weekends, and I also pitch in at least one night a week reading to children.  I've also gotten involved with book drives, collecting books for our local libraries and soliciting donations to improve the quality of the collection of books and media. 

We donate all our extras to the local women's shelter.  Since most show up with nothing, the women and children are in need of just about everything, put it all to a good use and are very appreciative.  We have also started making more donations to the local food bank which  is serving many more people in this economy. 

After watching my grandmother spend over two months in a hospital-based hospice at the end of her life, I was truly inspired.  The hospice volunteers were wonderful beyond words.  They took care of all the little things that the nurses and aides simply did not have the time to do...from feeding her ice chips to adjusting her pillows and blankets.  You name it.  Since I spent quite a bit of time on the hospice wing during this time, I was able to observe these amazing volunteers with other patients as well.  Although it is an incredibly difficult job -- paid or volunteer -- I knew it was a role that could never possibly have too many volunteers.  Right now, I am undergoing the necessary training to become one of these volunteers.

I live in downtown Atlanta, where there is a lot of homelessness. Our church is also located smack-dab in downtown, so they've tried to reach out to the homeless population and invite them in. This year for Christmas, my husband and I went shopping and bought a dozen or so packs of long johns, heavy socks (not cotton!) and some winter hats/gloves to give to the homeless who pass through our church.

we are new to the area and my heart has been called to help with the family services center on base.  the joy of seeing a family receive assistance and donating to our local charities with clothing and household items that we no longer need but, others have a need for is such a joy.

Instead of giving me presents for my birthday, I had my friends make  donations to a local animal rescue that I support. 

We just started helping out with a group who feeds the homeless in our area. It's fun and it feels great.

My daughters and I volunteer at a local soup kitchen....http://www.stpatrickcenter.org/

they do great things for our community...

My husband and I tithe regularly.  Some of this money goes to support missionaries and some helps folks in our community.  We also donate to:  The American Cancer Society,  American Diabetes Association, The American Heart Association, Good News Mission Ministry, The Bridge Ministry, The Samaritan's Purse Christmas Boxes, our church Angel Tree for purchasing items for the Pregnancy Center and nursing home residents,  The Haiti Relief, and other organizations on an as need basis.  We sponsor a child through Children International.  We have had young adults reside in our home until they could find permanent housing.  I am retired from social work.  As a social worker I helped families find a host of community resources to meet any need.  We also contribute food to our local food bank.  We donate clothing and other items to Goodwill.  We help family and friends when in need.  We advocate for those less fortunate in our community.  Helping our fellow man to live a better life is truly what living is all about.

I'm sure it's been said many times here already, but volunteering within the community is one of the best ways I've found to really get involved in being a part of the solution. I volunteer at my temple, and with local organizations working for LGBT civil rights. It's a win-win situation for everyone: I feel so gratified to be able to help, and they get the help they need!

We volunteer for an organization that delivers food to homebound elderly or disabled people.  We've become good friends with some of the people we deliver to but as they got older they ended up at a nursing home so now we visit the nursing home after our grocery deliveries.  It's really important to me to teach my kids in a positive way that the world doesn't revolve around us.  I am hoping that they will remember this as a fun fulling activity.  Only time will tell

I'm currently a second year college student in Indiana. For the past two years, I've developed and help run an after school science program for a local elementary school. Myself and a "co-planner" design lesson plans specifically for second and third graders, who other wise would never be taught science! I'm incredibly blessed to have been apart of this wonderful opportunity, especially since I've been able to share something I'm so passionate about. Through this we've also been able to have the children help their community as well. As a science club the little kids have been able to make use of their outdoor courtyard area for the better. We've turned it into a garden, with flowers and more importantly vegetables. Vegetables that now help sustain a group of displaced Burmese people in our community.  

I teach high school in a low-income area so opportunities to make a difference in my school's community are abundant.  I do what I can when I see a need.  For instance, I have a sweet, young pregnant girl in one of my classes.  She had shown me some stained baby clothes she had bought at a thrift store and she was so very proud of them.  My heart ached for her and her baby because I believe every child deserves nice baby items when he or she is born.  So I stopped at a few stores on my way home from work and bought her a few things for the baby and a couple of maternity blouses for her. I put them in a tote bag for her and gave them to her at school the following day.  She was so excited to see all the cute little things.  It made me want to burst!  Other kids don't have money to participate in classroom activities so I'll bring the items or slip them a few dollars so that they can feel proud to participate.  I am not alone in doing these things.  Most of my colleagues do whatever they can to help the needy kids who cross our paths.  It comes with the territory.  :-)

I donate all of the free glucose meters, food and personal care items to my neighborhood food bank.  I take my kids with me so they learn to be good stewards and to give back even when we think we can't afford to.

We volunteer at our local food bank as often as possible.  Also we donate food a couple of times a month. 

I have participated as a volunteer for the Special Olympics and found the experience beyond fulfilling.  Athletics are an amazing way for each and every one of us to find a personal best, and the spirit of this achievement was the best part of the Games - for me and for all those involved!  I hope to do this again soon; I really, really enjoyed it.

I need to step up my volunteering efforts - between career and kid and relationship and exercise I've made lack of time my excuse.  I do donate at Christmas and my Birthday to the WFP, and I try to purchase items that support local efforts (there's a calendar put together by the East Side community every year with haunting and gorgeous pictures of street life - all proceeds back to the homeless photographers.) 

But this initiative has actually inspired me to want to do more - so thanks Downy.  Very cool.

We bring our newspaper, plastic, etc to our local recycle bins to help out our community. Whenever there is a aluminum can drive to help a neighbor with medical expenses we give our cans. We give to our local charities also.

I volunteer at my local Humane Society thrift store and all the proceeds go to our local Humane Society.  In the county where I live we don't have an animal shelter, only Animal Control.  Animal Control, unfortunately, can't keep dogs/cats for very long at their kennels (maybe two weeks).  Our local Humane Society does all they can but without having a shelter it's hard to house animals that need help.  We have foster homes but they can only keep so many pets at a time.