Ways to Help Others During These Hard Times

As the holidays roll around let’s keep in mind that not everyone is in the same financial place as others. There are a number of ways you can help those in your community. Helping others is putting yourself in someone else’s shoes and wanting them to have basic human decency.

What’s Available

Its important when discussing what help you can aid others is to be aware what is already available. In Southeast did you know there’s a listing of available/resources help out there? Yes a whole directory available that you can look into to cover a gambit of needs. Once you know what’s available, it makes it easier to direct those in your community who need it most. Also remember people who need help may be hesitant and even more ashamed that they are in the position to need the help that they need. Be mindful of that when extending help.

Have Compassion when Helping Others

Helping others has to be stamped in compassion and not a way to check off some personal listing of feeling better. Helping is about looking out and not looking in. So be mindful of that as well. Also again it can’t be stressed enough to not have a judgmental thought processes while helping others. You never know what someone is going through. Help others find a temporary solution first and then a long term answer. People always say things about others like “get a job.” What is the temporary reason that is blocking that first. Deal with the initial reason before you can assist in the long term help.

There’s No Such Things as Too Small of an Idea

Remember that big impact can come from small ideas. Organizing a food drive or toy drive may seem small but they have large impacts. Helping a family eat is no small task. Likewise with the toy drive, that one toy sticks with a child as well as the adult who received it. So don’t think an idea is too small. Communities have come together to do things like give single moms a night out. Other ideas like barber/beauty shops coming together to see kids get haircuts or hairdos for school or major holidays. These take things that so many people take for granted and brings smiles on faces.

Grateful Hearts Always

Grateful hearts seem to do the best type of giving. Helping others takes looking into the eyes of your brother/sister and helping them from a place of gratitude. Remember where you stand today could be a fall tomorrow. So keep that gratitude in your hearts daily. Find ways to love on another and let go of division. We can cause greater chains of hope just from remembering that those around us are humans and deserve the utmost respect. Don’t look down on others because what they are going through you aren’t aware of. We all have silent trials that we deal with daily. Cover others in the same grace you want to be received.

Remember that anyone of us can be in a tough way. Never look down on others just because you feel like you are above them. The same nose looking down could turn around looking up. Be caring, use wisdom, and extend grace.

Let’s extend some help to our neighbors. If you can help, let’s do more of that this holiday season!