Giving Back as a Writer

Sometimes, we need to take a moment to remember people who are less fortunate that ourselves. Even if you are struggling to get established as a writer, your situation is much better than someone who just found out their baby has cancer or someone who’s home was destroyed by a flood.

As a writer, even if you don’t have a ton of money, you can give back to the world. Here are some ideas:

• Sponsor a charity event on your blog or website. For example, right now, one of the places where I write is teaming up with a charity that provides game rooms, toys, and other entertainment for terminally ill children. (If you’re so inclined, you can donate here – we’re actually giving away some great prizes too). This kinds of charity is near and dear to my heart, so I actually do hope you’ll consider giving even $5 – but if you don’t have a cent to spare, consider teaming up with a charity of your own to raise money on your website.
• Write for free for a charity. Got a charity you love? Contact them and ask if they need anything written. Sometimes, charities don’t realize that you can boost you search engine rankings with a few well-written articles. You can also volunteer to help create a MySpace page, Twitter account, or other social networking profile.
• Grow your hair or roll up a sleeve. You think I’m joking, but I’m not. Start growing your hair today, and when you have at least 10 inches, cut it all off for Locks of Love. They make wigs for children with cancer. Your hair is COMPLETELY free, so why not make some kid’s day? When people compliment you on your new hair, make sure to promote the cause. As a freelancer, you can also grow you hair long, regardless of your gender, without worrying about a company’s policies about it. Along the same lines, give blood. It’s really not that bad, I promise, and you’re helping to save up to four lives with every donation.
• Get an elderly pen pal. People in nursing homes who have no family love getting letters, even from complete strangers. Join a pen pal program and take a few minutes every week just to share your life with that person.

We can all give back. A younger friend of mine, who doesn’t even have a job yet and has mounting bills looming over her even takes out a few hours every week to mow grass/rake leaves/shovel snow for an elderly neighbor. It’s the little stuff that counts. We all like to complain about the jerks in this world, but we rarely stop to thnk what we ourselves are doing to be better people.