TARA BATTIATO - HERLIFE Magazine

herlife | working women
Little Ways
to make
a
big
DIFFERENCE
by chandra blackwell
Life? Oh, you’ve got plenty of that. A job. Kids, maybe.
Friends and family. A sport or hobby or side business. A
pet (or two or six). Likely, you have regular involvement in
some combination of all of the above—so who has time
to host a mega-bucks-per-plate charity event or build a
school in Guatemala? Well, here’s the good news—you don’t have to.
Yes, it’s important to do something to make the world a better place
during the course of your life (otherwise, what is life about?), but too
many people assume that the concept of making a difference is reserved
for those who have a great deal of money, influence and time.
Certainly all of these things help—but you don’t need them in large
increments to make a difference. Here are a few ways you can make
a difference, even with limited resources.
Got a Few Minutes?
Gone are the days when volunteer projects encompassed entire
weekends—or even afternoons. Of course it’s always rewarding to devote
an entire Saturday to a cause that’s near and dear to your heart,
but thanks to the Internet, you can find a way to make a difference in
just a matter of minutes. The term microvolunteering refers to volunteer
assignments that can be completed in a small increments of time.
Examples of microvolunteering projects include translating a flyer or
brochure into another language, editing a press release or newsletter,
or setting up a social networking account for an organization. These
kinds of projects can give you a little dose of good karma in a little bit
of time. To find a microvolunteering project, visit sparked.com.
Got a Few Bucks?
So you’re not Warren Buffet (yet). Well, it doesn’t take billions
(or even millions) to make a difference. In fact, you can put a good
number of your hard-earned dollars to good use simply by buying fair
trade goods whenever possible. When many people think about fair
trade goods, they usually consider coffee, tea and handicrafts, but
fair trade branding has extended beyond food and fiber. Free trade
products come in many categories, from bedding to wine and spirits
to sports apparel. And the best news is that websites such as fairtraderesource.org
and fairtradeusa.org can help you locate retailers, in
your area and online, that sell free trade goods. So start shopping!
You can also put your money to good use by thinking about
how you’re investing it. Sustainable and Responsible Investing (SRI)
36 HERLIFEMAGAZINE.COM