Three Ways that You Can Help Your Local Community Right Now
From sociological issues to the environment, there are never enough hands to help solve all the world’s problems, and there are so many different issues to be passionate about that it’s hard to focus on just one. The biggest issue for many people is: Where do they start?
Well, one of the best places to do so is by helping your local community. Without joining an established non-profit, you can still build up the foundation of giving and conservation on your property and in your own home. Here are some options that give you a chance to help out.
Clean up a Public Space
A 2009 study found that approximately 51 billion pieces of litter are released onto American roadways every year. That’s 6,729 pieces per just one mile of roadway, and many of them include cigarette ends which kill animals in freshwater ecosystems. Though another study explains that litter on a national level has decreased by 61% between 1969 and 2009, plastic and microplastics have increased by 165% due to the increased use of plastic in packaging materials (340%).
Not only is plastic pollution bad for aquatic and land life, but National Geographic found that in laboratory tests, microplastics could cause damage to human cells through an allergic reaction and cell death. The long-term effects of microplastic on human health have not been fully observed, but the short-term effects are worrisome. Therefore, cleaning up your local beach, roadway, or park can seriously impact both wildlife and you. This says nothing of the eyesore that garbage can be as well.
The good news is that it’s easy to get to work yourself. Bring a garbage bag, some gloves and even a trash picker, then you can get started on sprucing up your local natural and public spaces immediately. Even picking up trash for an hour a day can make a serious positive impact.
Donate Blood
According to the Red Cross, around 6.8 million people in the USA donate blood every year. That’s 13.6 million units of blood, only roughly 7% of which can be given to all blood types (O negative). AB plasma is also in hot demand as it can be transfused to any blood type, but roughly only 4% of Americans have AB blood. What’s more, red blood cells last for only 42 days at most, and platelets have an even shorter shelf life of just 5 days. While the Red Cross provides upwards of 40% of the nation’s blood needs, only 3% of eligible people donate yearly.
This is especially difficult when factoring in sickle cell patients that require transfusions throughout their lives, car accident victims that may need as much as 100 units of blood to survive, and the 1.8 million people expected to be diagnosed with cancer in 2020 alone that will need blood during chemotherapy.
There is a constant and pressing need for more blood, and volunteers can make a serious difference by donating whenever they can. Your one donation can save as many as three lives in the process.
Become more Sustainable
The USA has one of the highest average carbon footprints in the entire world. Sixteen tons are generated by just one person every year, while the global average is only four tons. To avoid a rise in global temperature, it is estimated that the carbon footprint of all people needs to drop to just two tons. There are many ways to start practice sustainability – eat less meat, start a garden and collect rainwater for crops, dry your clothes with a clothesline, take fewer trips or even reusing old shopping bags can make a difference.
Learning how to help on your own is also an excellent gateway into joining a like-minded community, and with research available at your fingertips, getting started today in trying to make the world a better place has never been easier.