What better time to talk briefly about giving back than Easter?
There’s a great organization called Kiva that helps people in developing countries start/fund their businesses, whether it’s buying a cow, store supplies, a tractor, etc. Go to www.kiva.org and look at all of the opportunities you have to help someone. The minimum amount is very affordable, too. You could also go to www.lendingclub.com and loan as little as $25 to someone to help them pay down debt, pay something off or for whatever other reason they need money. In both cases, your money will be repaid to you incrementally, then you’re free to loan again!
Two other organizations that I’ve donated to in the past are Good Gifts and Heifer International. Sorry, but I don’t recall the websites at the moment; you can easily look them up on the internet. Same premise as above, as far as helping people in disadvantaged countries, though you will NOT get your money back – it’s a donation.
While researching my upcoming trip to Southeast Asia, I came upon www.withlocals.com. This website promotes authentic local/traditional experiences (tours, home-cooked meals, water blessings, etc.) with local people, although there are (admittedly) a few expats on there. I would much rather give my money to a local person than to an expat that’s moved there. For instance, one photography tour run by expats charged $120 for a half day tour. The one by a local guide on www.withlocals.com cost less than $80 for an entire day, including transport, water, cold towel and snacks. The local picks you up in the morning, takes you around to the things you’d like to see, deposits you back at your hotel for an hour and a half to two hours for lunch and to rest, then picks you back up for another four hours of whatever you want to see. Being local, I’m sure that he can get me into some places/situations that an expat could not. They would be more proficient in the language, too, obviously!
Lastly, if you have food left over from your fabulous Easter lunch/dinner today, think about giving it to a homeless person in your area. Do you really need to eat all of that? Also, if you have food that you need to cook before it expires, but don’t necessarily feel like eating it, please give that to a homeless person, too. Just a thought.