The indisputable Ukraine’s victory in the public vote at the Eurovision 2022 contest showed that people will always stand behind those in need. We will always want to help and seek different ways of showing our support. Unfortunately, more often than not, we feel too weak to make a difference.
The truth is that every single person can build a better world. You don’t need to be a politician or have an infinite budget to spend to make the world a better place. What you need is an impactful action that will help others. Unsure where to start? Here are some ideas to fulfil your humanitarian aspirations.
Set an LGBTQ friendly coffee
Did you know that teenagers and young adults in the LGBTQ+ community are twice more at risk of depression than others? Many report feeling insecure in their environments and families. So, creating a place where they can feel at home can make a huge difference.
You can set up an LGBT-friendly coffee shop, focusing on an inviting decor and exclusive menu. You can also market your brand strategically to appeal to underrepresented audiences and let them know they are welcome in. your shop. It may not seem like much, but having a place that acts as a shelter can mean the world to them.
Join an international organisation to help
You can bring your skill sets directly where they are needed with dedicated humanitarian trips. Whether you are a trained medical professional or you wish to help build safe houses and plumbing solutions in remote regions, there are many options to bring humanitarian value through your work. Many volunteer opportunities are available all around the world for those who wish to help local communities. It’s worth investigating the different programmes and enrolling to get an understanding of the situation in situ. It could provide you with an idea to deliver targeted support through charitable activities or dedicated donations.
Introduce free service hours
You’ve probably seen a lot of videos showing small US businesses helping the homeless or impoverished community. This barber, for instance, gives homeless people in LA a free haircut. Giving back to the community in one way or another make not bring your business further, but it could save someone’s life. So whether you wish to support individuals with your unsold items, such as Greggs donating their unsold food to food charities and shelters, or go the extra mile to dedicate time to serve others for free, you can make a difference in someone’s life.
Provide training to those in needs
You can reach out to your local job centre or even some of the prisons in the UK to discuss workshop offers and training. More often than not, individuals get stuck in a bad situation they can’t escape from because they lack the support to move forward. Training them and teaching them business skills can help make their profiles valuable to employers in the future. For example, something as simple as Google AdWords training could already help someone unlock a path in the marketing industry.
Helping others is in human nature. However, more often than not, we expect governments and international organisations to pave the way. In reality, everybody can make a small difference today. Perhaps, the accumulation of all our small differences will help transform the world in the future.
