I keep coming back to the same question: What more can I do? It mostly comes up when I'm reading the morning news and wondering if there is anything more I can do for my NYC community. But I also find myself saying it to my toddler when we've finished everything I planned for the day and there's still two hours left before dinner. Sigh. To kill two birds with one stone, I've found some ways to get kids involved in doing good from home. Big time mom-points.
Brighten Someone's Day
Both Dorot and Citymeals on Wheels are amazing organizations dedicated to bringing food to the elderly and providing outings and companionship. Now more than ever it is crucial that our elderly stay home. Obviously social visits are few and far between these days, which makes the companionship part of their missions difficult. Both charities are asking for homemade greeting cards to pass on to our older neighbors in need of some connection; examples are posted on the websites. The project is easy and fun and effort-to-payoff ratio is pretty great. Why not make someone's day and have fun doing it? Mothers' Day is right around the corner...
Give Encouragement
Everyone needs a little hope right now, but finding it is harder for some than others: The Make a Wish foundation is all about giving hope. They are still steadfast in their mission to grant wishes for critically ill children, but the wait for a wish granted is longer than ever because of the pandemic. So they are asking for help spreading messages of hope. Simply make an uplifting video for instagram, tag @makeawishamerica and use the hashtag #wishesarewaiting, and then tag at least two friends and encourage them to do the same. I'm pretty excited about this one and the conversation it might spark. And you NEED to watch these videos! Super special.
Help Animals in Need
Lots of people are adopting new furry family members right now; with all the at-home time there's no better time to train a pup. If your situation does not allow for a new pet but you have some serious animal lovers at home, check out Animal Care Centers of New York. They use homemade animal portraits to draw attention to pet profiles on their website. These drawings really seem to help animals get adopted faster. What a cool art project! Don't have an artist at home? They also have suggestions on their site for projects to make things: from dog beds, to feather cat toys, to kennel decorations. Pick a project and give some love to a furry friend. And scrolling through their website to choose the animals to help is pretty great too.
Become a Citizen Scientist
Citizen Science is a collaboration between scientists and those of us motivated to make a difference in our changing world. Basically scientists need more data than they can gather alone so we can help by sending pictures, gathering data, and even playing games to aid their progress. Their work is focused on protecting endangered species, safeguarding water sources, preventing disease, and accelerating medical research. There are countless projects to participate in just by exploring your immediate neighborhood. You can even help track the spread of coronavirus, which is crucial to getting back to some kind of normalcy. Intrigued? Me too! Super excited about this one.
Well, there you go, more to do. Maybe something fun and impactful for your weekend? Lord, I am ready to be done with this pandemic. But it really is driving home the importance of raising good citizens who will care for their communities. Yes, give the kids more screen time when needed and don't spend a second feeling guilty about that! But also, maybe even at the same time, talk about what a better tomorrow might look like. Here's hoping one of these activities will spark that conversation for you. Love to you NYC!
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