100 Ways to Help the Poor

2015 is the “Year of the Poor” as declared by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). This is in relation to the theme of Pope Francis’ visit to the country last January, “Mercy and Compassion”. The Catholic leader encouraged the people to show real compassion to the needy by acting out of it. This means not just feeling pity for them, but taking actions to help in every way possible.

You do not need to be rich for you to be able to help the poor. Not at all times you need money to help them out. You can even do it with friends or an organization to minimize your expenses and at the same gather more assistance in your project. Moreover, you do not have to do this to a whole barangay. You can touch one life or family at a time. Here are 100 simple ways that you can do when compassion moves you to help the poor:

1. Sponsor a meal for a family or a person once a week.
2. Sponsor the school fees or allowance of needy children.
3. Share new or used—but still wearable—clothes.
4. Help them pay their medical expenses and health care.
5. Give them free dental care.
6. Sponsor their children’s vaccination.
7. Sponsor their pets’ vaccination.
8. Give them free haircut.
9. Give them personal care products.
10. Create a business to employ the jobless and give them proper compensation.
11. Help build their homes by donating nails, plywood, cement, roof, or carpentry tools.
12. Volunteer to paint a house.
13. Donate new or good old furniture.
14. Donate your old cellphone and other gadgets.
15. Give the books you have already read especially to students who can use them.
16. Give toys to children.
17. Help them have a good night sleep. Donate soft pillow, blanket, mosquito net, and bed.
18. Light their home. Donate solar lamps.
19. Help build a sports facility (basketball court or a gym) in a community.
20. Vote for leaders who are truly pro poor.
21. Teach and encourage impoverished people to vote for leaders who can really help them.
22. Help punish and jail corrupt politicians who make people poor.
23. Donate to a charity that truly helps those who are in need.
24. Visit an orphanage.
25. Adopt a child.
26. Visit a home for the elders and bring them clothes, vitamins, or fruits.
27. Visit poor prisoners and donate clothes, pillows, or blankets.
28. Buy products from small vendors, and instead of bargaining, pay them extra money.
29. Conduct a fundraising for calamity victims through an activity like concerts and fun run.
30. Find donors for less privileged people through social media, blogging, advertising and other online promotion.
31. Buy products from companies who support or organize causes for the poor.
32. Support local businesses. They provide local jobs and pay local taxes which are beneficial to the poor.
33. Give some of your business’ products for free to the poor.
34. Give your professional service for free to those who cannot afford it.
35. Teach them skills that can help them start or improve their livelihood.
36. Help a community build a cooperative.
37. Help someone succeed in job application and be hired by helping him/her create resume and application letter; providing the proper attire for the interview, and sponsoring fare and other expenses.
38. Encourage and help those who have talents participate in a competition (music, dance, sports, etc).
39. Provide seeds and fertilizers to small farmers.
40. Give fishermen new fishing nets and other fishing equipment.
41. Help them protect their natural source of income, such as a tourist spot, the mountain, and the sea.
42. Educate them about financial planning.
43. Educate them about family planning.
44. Teach them good parenting and family values.
45. Educate them about their rights and privileges as citizens, so they will not be oppressed by those in power.
46. With the support of other citizens and local organizations, report public hospitals in poor conditions, especially when it comes to service, to be developed for the sake of the patients who cannot afford private hospitalization.
47. Lend money without any interest.
48. Help them pay a debt off.
49. Celebrate your birthday or other special occasion in an orphanage or with a marginalized community.
50. Donate a birthday cake to a poor birthday celebrant.
51. Pray silently and sincerely for the poor, and follow it with charitable actions.
52. Help a community build their chapel or prayer’s house.
53. Help a community build better classrooms.
54. Donate school supplies and equipment to an underdeveloped public school.
55. Encourage them to plant vegetables in the backyard, so that they can save from buying.
56. Conserve water – water shortage mostly affect the poor.
57. Help them clean their environment by teaching them proper waste disposal management.
58. Help them plant trees and plants in their backyard.
59. Help a poor community fight against dengue and other diseases by conducting advocacies on proper health and sanitation practices.
60. Do research, conduct interviews, and gather important data about marginalized communities. Summarize your report and share them with the government and the public to increase awareness and concern about poverty in the country.
61. Be the consistent voice of the poor. If you’re a blogger or a social media influencer, voice out for the poor.
62. Ask help, ideas, and advice from people in the lower class to let them feel that they are also useful in the society.
63. Hold a free film showing in a poor community – movies or boxing fights of Pacquiao.
64. If you are an entertainer, hold a free concert or show for those who cannot afford it in the big dome.
65. Do you have a good camera? Offer free photo shoot to a family, so that they can have a family picture.
66. Help them evacuate during calamities by providing vehicles and helping them find evacuation shelters.
67. Give relief goods, medical aids, and temporary shelters during or after a calamity.
68. Help and comfort those who lost their loved ones through financial, emotional, and physical assistance.
69. Offer your VIP seats to the poor.
70. Donate blood.
71. Help someone contact their distant loved ones.
72. Help them visit and reunite with their loved ones.
73. Share allowance and meals with a poor classmate in school.
74. Help a financially-struggling co-worker find a part-time job.
75. Be generous to your less privileged employees, give them extra salary.
76. Help your friends in crisis by giving instead of lending them money.
77. Help your family members finish studies and find decent jobs.
78. Together with other advocates, pressure lawmakers in your country to create effective laws that can help alleviate poverty.
79. Encourage more people to do charity and help the needy.
80. Be a volunteer and join associations that help the poor.
81. Help marginalized citizens in silence and do not exploit them for your own interest.
82. Congratulate and be happy when they achieve something. Do not drag them down.
83. Sponsor youth to take TESDA or other vocational courses.
84. Sponsor someone’s monthly contribution in SSS.
85. Sponsor someone’s monthly contribution in PhilHealth.
86. Based on their skills, help the unemployed connect with potential employers.
87. Help a family have their own sari-sari store by donating starting products.
88. Help someone who wants to work abroad by finding a trustworthy and POEA licensed agency.
89. Donate your old computer or laptop to someone to be used for school or job purposes.
90. Organize or coordinate a free medical, dental, or counseling service.
91. Help a young student find a scholarship.
92. Have a free English tutorial to make them more confident of themselves.
93. Help someone conceptualize a business by suggesting ideas like a barbecue stand or a sari-sari store.
94. Help a job applicant get needed requirements like NSO birth certificate or NBI clearance.
95. Donate old books to poor students or public school libraries.
96. Help those who are sick find effective and more affordable organic treatments through research.
97. Sponsor a recreation such as a visit to an amusement park, picnic, swimming, or going to the mall.
98. If you do not have money, spend time, visit their place, and talk to the poor.
99. Work hard, so that you can help yourself get out of poverty. When you are prosperous, you can do and share more with the poor.
100. Help them in your own unique way.

You do not need to be Superman or Bill Gates to be able to do something for those who are helpless. Through simple ways, you can make a difference in the society. Who knows? Other people could be inspired of what you do, and they would act to help the poor too. Moreover, those you help in little ways now could be the ones to help you bigtime in the future.