Community Giving Guide

hundreds of cans of food. See how quickly you can make and impact?

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Think about it. You have a direct line to quite a few people. Through your newsletters, at the end of notices to residents, and by hosting events in your office, let’s work together to collectively make a difference. You and your fellow R&R subscribers are responsible for thousands and thousands of apartments, so one manager hosting a canned food drive = hundreds of cans of food. See how quickly you can make an impact?


And, certainly pair all of these ideas with leasing promotions! Use them as traffic generators and advertise your event or drive in the local paper. Residents love to be included in planning these events too! This helps create a sense of community – so these events are win-win for everyone.

SOME FAST SUGGESTIONS:
•Ask residents to bring canned food to the office during the month of December.

•Give a grocery bag to residents asking them to donate canned goods. (See the idea on the sidebar.)

•At the end of each notice to residents remind them to reuse the other (blank) side of the page and then recycle the paper.

•Ask residents to recycle your community newsletters.

ON A LARGER SCALE:
•Go to VolunteerSolutions.org
Part of the United Way, Volunteer Solutions is a Volunteer Matching Application that helps connect individuals to volunteer opportunities in their community.

•Type in your ZIP Code, select your state, and select your “social issue” (children, arts & culture, civic & community, hunger/food, emergency services, and tons more). They’ll match you with the needs in your area.

ENVIRONMENT
•Clean up a vacant lot or park.

•Clean up trash along a river, lake, beach or park.

•Plant flowers in a public area.

USEFUL
•Teach a senior friend how to use the computer and Internet.

•Read books or the newspaper to a visually-impaired person.

•Send a letter to our soldiers and Marines overseas. (www.Motomail.us, www.OperationUSOCarePackage.org, www.CarePackageProject.com/thank-the-troops.asp, or email them via www.usafns.com).

•Make cards for senior centers or hospitals (a good activity for the young and old).

•Have a bake sale to raise money to buy movie passes, bowling passes, gift certificates to restaurants, bookstores or other recreational activities. Donate the items to a shelter or to a foster family group.

•Bring, prepare and serve a meal at an emergency shelter.

•Organize a “walk-a-thon” to raise money.


PARTIES
•Have one of these parties and donate the goods to a shelter.

•Have an “Art” party and collect donations of art supplies for kids.

•Have a “Bath” party and collect toothbrushes, combs, brushes, shampoo, lotions, soap, deodorant, etc.

•Have a “Keep Warm” party and collect donations of new and “gently used” household items such as sheets, blankets, and towels.


FUN & HELPFUL
•Collect items for the pediatric emergency room.

•Collect items for the pediatric ward (dress up clothes, games, etc.)

•Collect groceries for the Interfaith Food Pantry.

•Bake cookies and bring them to your local fire or police station.

•Invite a local police officer to present a drug awareness or safety presentation.

•Pack and hand out food at a local food bank.

•Hold an afternoon dance for a local senior center.

•Form a band or caroling group and perform at your local senior center.

•Help teach a younger child to read (ask at your library or in your community’s
newsletter).

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