Are you forgetting what you gave up for Lent? Did you forget to give something up for Lent? If the season has managed to catch you off guard this year, don’t feel guilty just yet. While Lent is associated with sacrifice, and many people spend the season parting with their favorite chocolate or candy, here’s another approach that you may find even more rewarding. There are many ways to make a difference, so regardless of your religion, here are six ways to give back and feel fulfilled throughout these upcoming weeks.
1. Spend Money to Donate Money
It’s no secret that college students are typically poor. If we buy something, we feel the burning pain of every dollar we spend because we’ve probably given up several weeknights for that hard-earned paycheck. Since Lent is about giving, maybe it’s time to part with that late night pizza and use the money to make a donation. Finding a charity or non-profit that you’re passionate about will make giving your money a lot easier because it will be going toward a cause that you support.
If you just can’t seem to put an end to your spending habits, you could pull a Kylie Jenner and try to match the $15 shirt you bought with a $15 donation. Hard-earned money is difficult to part with, but when you know it’s going toward a children’s hospital or finding a cure for cancer, it becomes easier to give away.
2. Pay It Forward
As college students, we always have a million things to do. But of course, that includes staying up to date with Netflix shows, going out, staying caught up with social media feeds, and making it to happy hour. Giving up something as easy as one hour each week can go a long way. Visit a retirement community or nursing home, deliver food for people who can’t get it themselves, shovel a sick neighbor’s driveway, take the time to visit an older relative, work for an hour at the food pantry, or help build a home through Habitat for Humanity. The list goes on. Your service will make someone’s day. Aside from that, your work will be a great reference when it comes to filling out scholarship applications or shaping up your resume.
3. Become a Donor
College students often don’t think about the benefits of donating blood, and the number one reason that people don’t give blood is because they simply haven’t considered it. Organizations like the Red Cross are always in need of more donors. Every two seconds someone in just the U.S. needs blood, and one donation of blood can save up to three lives. Not only will donating blood help those in need; there are also personal benefits to becoming a donor. In addition to getting a mini check up, repeated donors have better blood flow and more balanced iron levels than non-donors. Not to mention the sticker and cookie you get at the end. Doing something as simple as giving blood can help both your own health as well as someone else’s.
4. Give Up Social Media to Help Those in Need
When people think of giving up non-food items for Lent, often the first things they choose to give up are hitting the snooze button and using social media. Giving up social media isn’t a bad idea considering the benefits: increased focus, feeling more fulfilled, having more time on your hands, etc. But since Lent is about something more than yourself, you can use this sacrifice to help others as well. Consider keeping a jar next to your computer and putting a quarter in the jar every time you feel tempted to hop on your Instagram or Twitter. You will have money set aside to give your favorite charity by the time Easter rolls around.
Visit a Friend Going Through a Hard Time
You realize who your true friends are when you hit a rough patch. When everything is going well in your life, it’s easy to forget or lose track of those who are suffering. Taking the time out of your day to cheer up a friend with something as simple as your company can go a long way. Whether you choose to cook a friend dinner or just offer to stay in and watch movies, giving your time to someone who’s in a difficult place can make a big difference. The impact you make will strengthen a friendship and cheer up someone who needs it most.
Go Green for a Bigger Cause
You don’t have to be a tree-hugger to work on helping the environment because the reality is we all share the planet and have to suffer the consequences. One of the easiest things you can do is get a reusable water bottle. Sure, it’s convenient to buy bottled water, but you could be spending that money on something else.
You can also help make a difference by pledging to recycle. While it may seem like a pain to decide if something’s recyclable, and may be an even bigger challenge to figure out which of the five bins your trash should go into at the Diner, getting this process down can make a big impact, and can make the jobs of others easier as well.
So consider the little changes you can make to your daily routine that may require a small amount of effort on your part, but may have a big effect on others. If all else fails, random acts of kindness will go a long way during the season of giving.