It’s finally time to start working on your New Year’s resolutions, and you’re probably considering all of the standard choices, like exercising more, cooking more, or reading more. These are all great resolutions to make, but what if this year you made the resolutions to find as many ways as you could to give back to your community? There are so many things to love about the place where you live, and by offering support in small ways, you can help to keep those things around and make them even better. The new year is the perfect time to get into these new habits, so keep reading for some ideas of ways to support your community!
Shop Local and Write Reviews
It’s a pretty well-known fact that one of the best ways to support your community is to shop at small businesses whenever you can. You may have participated in Small Business Saturday earlier this year, or maybe you’re a regular at the smaller shops in your town. However, there’s a very easy way that you can take this support one step further, and that is by writing reviews online. Writing a quick review detailing a positive experience you had at a local business shouldn’t take you more than a few minutes, and it is incredibly helpful to your favorite restaurants, boutiques, cafes, and other establishments. Positive reviews help to raise their online ratings and entice new customers to give them a try, leading to more business over time. Take five minutes to write a quick blurb about what you purchased and whether you enjoyed it, highlight any staff members that were helpful to you, and if you’re a repeat customer, definitely say so. It will help more than you might realize!
Support Your Favorite Businesses and Organizations on Social Media
Social media is an invaluable tool, especially small or local businesses. Having an established presence online helps them to attract new customers, show off their products, and interact with existing customers. It’s also helpful for local charities or organizations like libraries or Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops to promote events. If you have some nearby businesses or organizations that you’re a big fan of, follow them on social media and interact with their posts by liking, commenting, and sharing. This will help their posts reach a wider audience and make them more well-known.
Clean Up and Donate
Spring cleaning is the traditional time to go through your home and get rid of things, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do it around New Years, when “out with the old and in with the new” is the name of the game. Take some time to go through your books, clothes, and other items and get rid of the things you don’t use anymore. Instead of throwing them away, it’s a great idea to take them to a clothing or book drive or a local thrift store, where they can go on to another home.
Be Patient
This is a resolution that can apply to all aspects of your life, not just how you support your community, but during these difficult times, it’s especially important. A lot of things aren’t functioning exactly as they should be right now, and issues like supply chain disruptions can cause frustrating problems in your day to day life. It’s easy to lose sight of the fact that some problems are just out of everyone’s control, and the only thing to do is try to find an alternate solution as calmly as possible. Practicing patience and kindness towards the other people in your community will have positive effects all around. Your home will be a happier and more positive place, and you’ll feel better for it too!
Everyone always hopes that the coming new year will be better than the last, but it’s even better to take action to help improve the new year. With these strategies for supporting your community under your belt, you’ll be helping to make your home a better place as well as adding more positivity to your own life. If you live in the Berks County area and want to get some more ideas about how to give back to your community, click here to see some of our favorite local businesses!
