Ways to Give Back to the Community
With summer break quickly approaching, you may be looking for things to do for the three months school is not in session. Here are some fun things to do that also help the Columbia community!
- Volunteer at an event, like Art in the Park
Art in the Park is an annual event held at Stephen’s Lake on June 1 and 2. Volunteers who sign up get to pick the top five stations they want to work at, and are provided with a free shirt to wear on the day of the event.
- Pick up trash in your neighborhood or around Battle
Battle has lots of trash in the parking lot and on the bleachers, especially after football games and track meets. Picking up trash can not only help keep our school clean, it helps the environment as well.
- Volunteer at the Food Bank
The Food Bank is always looking for volunteers and people to help donate food or help make food. According to the Food Bank website, volunteers save them $2 million a year because they can avoid labor costs.
- Support Local Businesses
Downtown CoMo is full of small businesses, with everything ranging from cute coffee shops and ice cream parlors, to clothing stores and nice restaurants. Some popular places to visit are: Sparky’s Ice Cream, Seoul Taco, Shortwave Coffee, and Bubblecup Tea Zone.
- Donate supplies to the Humane Society
The Humane Society cares for many animals, and sometimes they run tight on supplies or money to take care of the animals. Donating items such as blankets, bleach, towels, or even cheaper items like office supplies can help them. If you are interested in helping, there is a “wishlist” on the Central Missouri Humane Society website.
- Advocate for social issues in your area
While Columbia is a fairly small town, there are still many issues occuring in the city that should be brought to attention. Advocating for what you believe in can not only improve the community, it also helps build skills that you will use for the rest of your life.
- Donate Blood
Donating blood can help save many lives, and it can also positively impact your health. According to the Red Cross website, donating blood can help patients of all ages, and every two seconds, someone in the U.S needs blood. Donating blood is a big decision, but it can help save many lives.
Some people think that giving back to the community has to be done through a big project and that they can’t make much of a difference by themselves. Helping the community can be easy, and making small changes every day can end up having a big impact, especially if you try to get some friends involved!