Hi everybody! Today I want to tell you about how you can go ahead and begin to prepare to make a big difference in your own community. Make a Difference Day is a national day of community service that is celebrated every year on the 4th Saturday of October. This year, that day will be October 27th. And I want to encourage all of you to find, or create, but definitely participate in some sort of service project in your area!

Seriously, put it on your calendars…now!

Last year, three million Americans participated in this event and hopefully we can help increase that already huge number this year! As extra incentive, as if you need any, you can also register your project with Make a Difference Day and be eligible to win 1 of 10 awards of $10,000 that will go to your favorite charity! That would make a huge difference!

The Make a Difference Day website has tons of information to help you get started. Check it out and start planning! If you aren’t interested in organizing a big project, there are still oodles of things you can do as an individual, with friends, or with your family to help out in your own community. Some of my favorites include:

• Visit a local nursing home or hospital.
• Take a home-bound elderly friend to lunch or dinner.
• Partner with another family to repair or paint the home of an elderly couple or a needy family.
• Deliver meals, gifts and blankets to shelters for the homeless, the abused or to families in need.
• Organize a car wash, window washing or yard day for a needy nonprofit or social service agency.
• Hold a knit-a-thon or a sew-a-thon and make blankets or clothes for those without.
• Organize a toy drive to get ready for needy children at Christmas.

Last year, a fraternity from Manhattan threw a Halloween party at a residential facility for people with developmental disabilities and then the residents made sandwiches for their nearby homeless shelter! Everyone can participate!

These are just suggestions, of course. You can always come up with your own. Or you can simply find an existing project in your community and jump on board. To make it super easy, just click on this link to search for projects near you. I found almost 30 projects within 5 miles of my home! There are seriously so many ways we can help! So, let’s do it!

P.S. You don’t have to wait until October to make a difference!