I am sure we can all agree that it is often better to give than to receive. In fact, a study from the Harvard Business School shows that finding ways to help others can improve both our mental health and physical self. But with so many problems in the world today, how can we really make a difference? How do we actually tackle difficult situations affecting those in need? How do we find ways to tackle The Helping Others Bucket List?

Well, what if I told you that there are simple ways to help others that anyone can do?

Here’s the deal. With a little creativity and a lot of desire you can easily tackle any of the 9 simple ways to help others we are sharing below!

1) Give your Money

Perhaps one of the simplest ways to help others is just to give your money. However, I find that people are often leery to just hand a check over or even give loose change to beggars on the street. I mean I get it. You work hard for your money and often you may feel stressed by your own financial challenges. But you don’t have to be a wealthy person donating millions of dollars to make a difference. Sometimes the cost of a McDonald’s combo meal can make a real difference to someone who is struggling.

Picture this:

A young woman, stressed out by her really bad day at work and starving, stopped by her local McDonald’s to grab dinner. But after ordering, she realized that she forgot her wallet at the office. Talk about having a bad day! So when she pulled up to the pay window, she had to admit that she forgot her money and needed to cancel her order. However, without blinking an eye, the worker, Jeremiah, replied, “it’s okay ma’am, I got you” and then paid for her meal with the cash from his own wallet! (Zeigler, A (2019, March 31). McDonald’s Employee’s 6 Little Words Leave Tired Mom Stunned At Drive-Thru).

I can’t imagine this fast food worker is wealthy. He just saw another person whom needed a little financial assistance and was willing to help!

So how can you give money to help others?

• Give money at your local church
• Donate to people’s online fundraising efforts
• Pay for the person behind you at a toll both
• Buy candy, cookies, or lemonade from kid’s fundraising efforts
• Give money to a local charity supporting a cause you care about

With a little creativity & a lot of desire anyone can easily tackle any of the 9 simple ways to help others shared by The Bucket List Project! #HelpingOthers #GiveBack #SimpleWaysToHelpOthers Click To Tweet

2) Give Your Friend’s Money

There is something fun about the idea that Robin Hood would rob from the rich and give to the poor. But we strongly don’t recommend you gather a bunch of Merry Men and start sticking up stage coaches in the forest!

With that said, collecting cash donations from your friends can be a fun and simple way to help others. There are many different activities you can participate in to benefit your favorite charity or cause.

So how can you give your friend’s money to help others?

• Sign up to Run an organized race on behalf of a cause you care about: A good friend of ours, Jason, recently signed up, raised funds, and walked the Susan G. Komen 3-Day in honor of his wife, Bev! He asked all of his friends to donate any amount and ended up raising several thousands of dollars for cancer research! Bev is doing it again next year & is already raising funds toward her $3,000 goal. If you would like to help her reach that goal you can visit her official Susan G. Komen 3-day fund raising page at www.the3day.org/goto/bevhippler
• Create a GoFundMe fundraiser on behalf of your favorite Charity: GoFundMe is a great platform to collect funds on behalf of a charity or person whom you feel needs financial help! Darcee & I were able to create a GoFundMe for our Rickshaw Run several years ago. We were able to collect over $5,500 in donations for both Angels’ Place and Cool Earth. But currently, for example, my friend Andrew is hiking the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) this Spring and Summer. The CDT is a roughly 3,000 mile trail that extends through Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana. He decided to do this for personal growth but also to raise awareness for Men’s Mental Health especially in cases of Military Veterans. Mental health care especially in a clinical setting is not cheap and it often times not covered by insurance. So Andrew will take the majority of funds raised and put it toward a grant for a former Marine (like himself) in need of mental health treatment. You can help Andrew and his cause at https://www.gofundme.com/continental-divide-trail-hike.

3) Give Of Your Physical Self

Helping others doesn’t necessarily have to cost you an “Arm and a Leg” but you can definitely find simple ways to donate of your physical self. We often hear stories of people fighting injuries or disease who are in desperate need of blood or a stem cell match. It is really easy to help if you are willing to volunteer your time.

So how can you give of your physical self to help others?

• Donate Blood: There are countless benefits to yourself and others when you donate blood! By taking an hour of your time giving blood, you can save the life of 3 PEOPLE! Plus, donating blood reduces stress, possibly lowers the risk of heart disease or cancer, and can improve your overall emotional well being!
• Sign up for Bone Marrow & Stem Cell Registries: CANCER SUCKS! But what is tragic is that often people with certain life threatening blood cancers, could be cured if they could find a life-saving bone marrow match. That is why enrolling in BeTheMatch.org is a simple way to help others.
• Be an Organ Donor: According to OrganDonor.gov, as of January 2019, there are over 113,000 men, women, and children on a transplant waiting list and 20 people a day die waiting for a transplant! That is why signing up at your state’s registry could possibly safe a life someday!

4) Give Your Stuff

Donating your stuff may be the most simple way to help others. We all have clothes, toys, books, or things around the house that we just don’t use anymore. So why do we keep it? Perhaps it is for sentimental reasons or “just in case.” But in reality, these unused items sit around collecting dust and benefitting no one. And as we all know from Toy Story 3, toys are meant to be played with and enjoyed!

So how can you give your stuff to help others?

• The Hanger Method: When it comes to clothes, I discovered a unique method to know what clothes I need to donate! I take everything in my closet and put the hangers backwards! Then I give myself 6 months. If during those 6 months, I actually wear a shirt, pants, or something in my closet, I return the hanger to the regular direction. At the 6 month mark, anything that is still hanging backwards is something I never really wear, so I donate it!
• Donate on Birthdays or Holidays: One of the best things my Aunt did is when her kids received new toys for their birthday or holidays, they had to donate an old one they didn’t use anymore. It is essentially a 1 for 1 trade that also teaches them generosity.
• Find a Little Library or Real Library: There is nothing like discovering a new book or listening to a new musician! But what happens to those old books when you finish reading them? They collect dust under your bed or on a book shelf. However, books are meant to be read & music is meant to be heard. So why not donate your books or music to those amazing Little Library Boxes or your local Public Library for others to enjoy for Free?

5) Give Your Food

It is sort of amazing to think that anyone is hungry in this day and age. But according to Feeding America, back in 2016 there were nearly 42 MILLION people suffering from hunger in America alone! In a world where we toss out so much food it just baffles me. However, giving food is so simple and can help so many. Plus you don’t have to be a chef or have crazy skills in the kitchen to offer relief to the hungry.

So how can you give your food to help others?

• Donate to your local Food Bank: With sites like FeedingAmerica.org it is easy to find a food bank in your local area where you can donate canned goods and less perishable items to help the hungry in your own community.
• Cook for your elderly or sick neighbors: You never know who in your own neighborhood is struggling to afford a good hot meal. So check on your neighbors and bring them extra food that you made or even better, invite them over to eat with your family.
• Make Snack Packs for the beggars: One of the coolest ideas I have seen recently actually came from an organization within our parish church. They created snack packs of granola bars, fruit, a bottle of water, and other items to hand out to those homeless who stand at the red light corners asking for help. Rather than tossing them random loose change or worse rolling up your window, you can just hand them a snack pack to give them a little nourishment.
• Work in a Soup Kitchen: Just because you can’t cook doesn’t mean you cant give food to help others. Local soup kitchens, also known as Food Pantries, can be found at FoodPantries.org and are always looking for volunteers as long as you can work with their schedule. So, roll up your sleeves, grab a hair net, and dish out some warm meals.

6) Give Your Knowledge

The Dalai Llama once said, “Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality!” There is no doubt that we all have something we can easily share to help others. Whether we are great chefs, unbelievable mathematicians, masters at backpacking, or can just drive a stick shift, there is something we know that we can share. Just think about your former teachers, scoutmasters, or business mentors that have been there in your life. Each of them took the time to share their knowledge to help you grow.

So how can you give your knowledge to help others?

• Become a Coach or Scoutmaster: Who better to teach then your own kids? Plus it is a great way to spend quality time with your children and their friends.
• Become a Mentor: There tons of at risk youth and foster children out there without strong adult role models in their lives. By enrolling in a BeAMentor.org program, you can help with homework, coach them about jobs, or just hang out and share positive stories about life.
• Become a Tutor or teach lessons: We all have amazing talents in various arts or skills. So why not help others learn those skills as well? Whether you teach piano lessons to kids, help a coworker on their sales skills, or help tutor me with the best way to learn Spanish, there is something you can share.

7) Give Your Ear

It is not uncommon for each and every one one of us to feel detached, sad, depressed, or just plain lost. Perhaps it’s just a side effect of being human. But sometimes the simple act of listening can be one of the greatest ways to help others. You don’t have to necessarily help the resolve any issues. But, allowing people to unload their challenges, pains, or concerns can be cathartic for them.

Another reason to give your ear is to help people who are lonely feel connected again. With all of the digital technology floating around, sadly, we have lost a lot of real life intimate contact with our friends and family. This can lead to a feeling of loneliness and depression.

So how can you give your ear to help others?

• Share the National Suicide Prevention: A simple Facebook post or tweet may save a life. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want you to pass the buck. But suicide is a serious matter and sometimes a trained professional from the National Suicide Prevention should be the one listening! So if you or someone you know feels hopeless or like they have no reason to live, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for help and support.
• Invite a friend to lunch or drinks: We’ve all seen that movie scene where a kid at school eats lunch alone because he has no friends. There’s nothing worse than eating alone especially when you are dealing with other challenges. So call up an old friend, a neighbor, or a family member and meet them for drinks or lunch.
• Visit those in the Hospital or Nursing Home: I think one of the biggest fears we hear about with regards to nursing homes or long term hospital care is that no one ever visits the residents. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Most of these facilities have easy schedules for visiting and besides time, what does it really cost us to visit a loved one?

8) Give Your Support

One of the simple ways to help others is to just be there to support their bucket list dreams. It is hard to chase down dreams when you feel like you are doing it all alone. But when you have someone working with you to hit that goal, someone offering their own resources to aid your efforts, or just someone there cheering you on, you can feel invincible!

So how can you give your support to help others?

• Make someone’s bucket list item happen: One of my favorite bucket list items on my Helping Others List is #103) Fullfill 1 Bucket List Item for anyone who helps me with 1 of mine! But just because I’m the bucket list project guy, doesn’t mean I have an insider tool to help others complete their bucket list items. First, take the time to learn about their bucket list dreams. Then see what resources you have available and use them to help them complete an item on their list.
• Show up: The simple act of showing up can be one of the best ways to help others! I personally used to love it when my dad would show up to all my symphony concerts. There is just something about looking out into an audience and seeing a familiar face that can do wonders for your heart and soul. This is especially valuable to your adult friends too. So show up to their concerts, their sporting events, their art shows, their business events, or whatever. Just Show Up!

9) Give Your Smile

Steve Maraboli once said, “Smile at strangers and you just might change a life!”

We’ve all been there before. You are having a crappy day at the office, you forgot to eat lunch, and now you are stuck traffic just trying to get home. Then when you finally get there, you open your front door and the biggest smile is there waiting for you, erasing all the misery of the day instantly.

It’s amazing how the simple turning up of your lips and the flashing of your pearly whites can bring light to anyone who sees it!

So how can you give your smile to help others?

• Well duh…this isn’t rocket surgery….SMILE! I know this sounds a bit cheesy. But everyday, think of something that makes you happy and then emit that joy you feel to everyone and anyone you see through your smile!
• Be polite and courteous! Through simple acts like opening doors, saying thank you, giving up your seat to someone who needs it, you can remind people that they are noticed and appreciated.

So what Now?

As you can see, with a little effort and desire there are plenty of simple ways to help others! But no matter which way you choose to help, know that you will make a difference in another person’s life. So what are some of your simple ways to help others that you do? Is there some way you have found that really improves your community? Have you ever volunteered for a cause you really believe in? Let us know in the comments below and help inspire others!

Don’t forget to Pin these Simple Ways to Help Others to your favorite Bucket List Board!