Ten (free! easy!) ways to make the world a better place

You don’t need to be a hero or a saint to make a difference in our community. Small gestures, even ones that cost you nothing, can have large impacts. Here are ten simple, free things you can do to make the world a little better. Some call for nothing more than developing new habits, while others may take planning.

1.  Give blood. Ordinary people save lives every day by spending an hour at a blood drive. The need for blood is never-ending, yet for most people donating is easy. Start by going to givelife.org for the Red Cross or inova.org/get-involved/blood-donor-services/donate-blood for Inova to find a nearby blood drive or donor center. A bonus for you is that nurses take your pulse and blood pressure and check your blood for anemia. You will also be notified by mail if tests reveal other health issues. However, not everyone can give, so check the eligibility guidelines on the website to see if you might be excluded.
2. Ditch the plastic. Even if you are conscientious about recycling, the use of disposable plastic bags, bottles and other containers is a huge waste of America’s natural resources. Americans use 60,000 plastic bags every five seconds—and then promptly throw them away. And making just the number of plastic water bottles sold in the U.S. every year requires 1.5 million barrels of oil. Drinking tap water from reusable bottles and remembering to bring your reusable bags when you shop are simple habits, and they’ll also save you money.
3. Clean up a stream. Discarded plastic bags and bottles, bits of Styrofoam, candy wrappers and other trash often end up in our stream valleys, washed there from storm drains and eventually finding their way into the Potomac River and out to the Chesapeake Bay. More than just an aesthetic issue, the litter can choke and kill birds, fish and other animals. A quiet hour picking up trash in one of our many stream valley parks gets you out into nature and pays big dividends for the environment. It’s also a great teaching tool for young children and can earn community service hours for older kids.
4. Park away from building entrances. Chances are you automatically look for a parking space as close as possible to the entrance door of the business you’re going to. But most of us could use more exercise, so parking further away won’t hurt us. Yet this small act of kindness in leaving a close-in spot available could make the day easier for an elderly person, a parent lugging a child, or just someone who isn’t feeling very well.
5. Leave your car at home. Automobiles not only create traffic jams and air pollution, but the carbon dioxide they emit contributes to climate change. So look at your routine and see where you can get out of the car and run an errand on bicycle, on foot or by public transportation. The bonus for you is that if you’re burning calories just getting to work and running errands, you won’t need to make time for the gym.
6. Visit a nursing home. Wherever there are nursing homes, you can be sure there are people whose lives would be made brighter by a visit.  Call first to introduce yourself to staff and get help identifying a patient who would welcome a visit; take a deck of cards, but be ready to be asked to read, help with a project, or just provide a friendly ear.
7. Walk a dog. Animal shelters and rescue leagues usually don’t have enough staff to give dogs the exercise and individualized attention they crave. Taking a dog for a walk and just spending time with it can make a dog better behaved and calmer, which in turn may make it more adoptable. And if you love animals but can’t own a pet yourself, helping a shelter dog can be therapeutic for you.
8. Cut your hair. Locks of Love is an organization that makes wigs for children who lose their hair due to medical problems like cancer. They take all kinds of hair, so long as it hasn’t been bleached and is secured in a braid or ponytail at least ten inches long. Follow the guidelines on their website for cutting and mailing.
9. Pay compliments. Yes, seriously! When was the last time you acknowledged good service, praised a team member’s work, or just complimented someone? Noticing and appreciating other people’s efforts is a habit like any other, and it gets better with practice. The payoff is terrific, costing you nothing but making the recipient feel valued, and perhaps earning you a new friend. If you compliment someone’s work to his or her boss, you may even play a small role in advancing a career.
10. Run your own charity mini-drive. Food pantries need non-perishable items. Animal shelters need old blankets and towels. Groups that help the homeless need winter coats, hats and mittens. Schools that serve lower income children need school supplies. If you’ve got things you want to donate, call around to identify a group that can use them. Then let your neighbors know you are planning to take items over, and offer to pick up their contributions on your way. The bonus for you is that this is a great way to connect with your neighbors; the ones most worth knowing will likely be the ones who respond!