Suggestions for Helping Others – Mary McLaughlin, PhD

How to Help People in Need

Prepared by Mary McLaughlin, PhD

People are often stymied about what they can do to help others. I have posted numerous suggestions online. All of them are based on true stories of real people needing assistance.

Here is an easy-to-read summary of services and donations at various price levels:

Donate to those in need anonymously if you (or they) will feel more comfortable;

Donate $5 – $10 – $25 grocery store gift cards to a food bank so that recipients can buy items of their choice. Food stamps do not cover shampoo, detergent, toilet paper, etc;

Purchase $5 gift cards to Dunkin Donuts, Burger King, McDonald’s, Subway, etc. and give them to those in need. These make great, non-cash donations to homeless people;

Purchase a gift certificate to a barber shop/beauty salon and give it to an unemployed or homeless person;

Give a gift card for supplies at a hardware/home-improvement store to a person who has had to move or who is being evicted;

Help a person-in-need or senior citizen to install/ remove a summer air conditioner;

Help someone who has had to move to clean or repair the new (or old) residence;

Give a roll of quarters for use in laundry machines to those in need; include detergent;

Wash/detail a senior citizen or person-in-need’s vehicle. Add windshield washer fluid;

Change oil or pay for oil change in vehicle of person-in-need;

Purchase a gasoline gift card and give it to someone who is unemployed;

Arrange for vehicle inspection for person-in-need and pay for any necessary repairs;

Donate your extra vehicle/ RV to a person-in-need. Pay for vehicle insurance, registration and any tax if you can;

Have a garage sale and give all proceeds to a person/family in need;

Do you have a storage locker? Review contents and add to your garage sale for person/family in need;

Rent a storage locker for a person who has been evicted or who is relocating;

Does the Person/Family in need have a cherished pet? Buy pet food and/or offer to pay veterinary bills;

Arrange and pay for dental services, cleaning, and/or replacement teeth;

Pay annual health club membership fees for homeless person/family in need where showers are available;

No person wants to wear used underwear. Give gift card so that he/she can buy new;

Appliance repairs are expensive. Pay for washer, dryer, water heater, etc. repairs or replacement;

Give bus, subway or train pass to an unemployed person-in-need, a senior citizen or disabled person-in-need;

Set up and pay for a monthly taxi cab, Uber or Lyft account for person-in-need who cannot use/access public transportation.

Deliver a load of wood to those in need who have a wood stove. Help to stack it;

Give cell phone “top-up” cards to homeless/unemployed/other person in need who has limited talk minutes and needs reliable phone/voice mail;

Give a sheet of postage stamps to a person-in-need;

Avoid criticizing priorities, choices of those in need unless asked for advice;

Do not ask personal or invasive questions. Respect person/family-in-need’s privacy;

Give a pharmacy gift card to person/family without prescription drug coverage or for prescription drug co-pays;

Tip all service persons as generously as possible;

A NYC worker requests in advance that half of his restaurant meal be pre-packaged as “take-out” to give to a hungry person nearby on the street;

A NYC worker sometimes buys an extra restaurant meal for a nearby homeless person;

Give a gift card to a store where an unemployed person-in-need can buy a new shirt or blouse and shoes for job interviews;

Give a gift card for new shoes/boots to unemployed/homeless/other person-in-need;

Volunteer to help out at the small business that can no longer afford to employ you;

Out of school for the summer? Can’t find a job? Helping others looks great on your job resume and on your college applications;

Forgive small/medium debts family, friends, associates owe to you – do this in writing;

Improve terms of repayment for those who owe you/ your company money – in writing;

Provide basic TV/Internet service to person/family in need and pay the monthly bill;

Provide storage area to person/family-in-need that’s had to downsize their living space;

Greeting cards are expensive. Purchase a selection and give to person/family-in-need;

Give a toy store gift card to person/family-in-need to buy gifts for children/grandchildren. It is especially painful not to be able to give small gifts to children you love;

Pay travel expenses so that those in need can attend a family wedding or funeral;

Pay travel expenses for those in need to attend a family reunion or to visit a sick relative. Use your air miles?

Bring hot, fresh meal to those in need. Let them know in advance when meal will arrive;

Buy a bookstore gift card and give it to those in need with no TV/Internet service;

Got a truck? Help those in need to move or pay for a rental truck to help them move;

At person/family-in-need’s moving or garage sale, pay more than the asking price;

Pay more than the asking price for boat, motorcycle, camper, RV’s, etc. being sold by person/family-in-need;

Notice homes for rent/sale in your area. Offer to help anyone involved who is in need;

Help to prepare a house for sale (cleaning, painting, staging, landscaping);

Landlords, lower the rent for those in need. Let them out of the lease if necessary;

Provide transportation to/from health care appointments/ meetings for those in need;

Purchase movie/theatre gift card and give to person/family-in-need;

Invite those in need to breakfast/lunch/dinner at a restaurant and pay for it. Do not invite strangers into your home or into your vehicle;

Give person/family-in-need a gift card to an ice cream shop. This is a delightful treat;

Hunger is physically and emotionally painful. Give cash/grocery gift card directly to person/family-in-need. Senior citizens are known to often be food insecure;

If a disadvantaged person refuses your help, don’t criticize. Ask what made your offer unacceptable and try to make an offer that will be accepted.

Do not impose your preferences, priorities or preferred solutions on those in need;

Do not make religious participation a condition of your donation or your assistance;

Disadvantaged people are often angry. Show respect, listen patiently and politely. Don’t argue;

Do not “blame the victim” for not asking for help… people in need are often embarrassed to ask for assistance or may be weary of being put off or ignored;

Veterans, please maintain the same loyalty to your disabled colleagues that you had while serving together in the military;

Teach a struggling small business owner how to set up and maintain a web site to promote his/her business;

Expect criticism from others. The old saying “…no good deed goes unpunished” is sometimes true, unfortunately;

On the other hand, another maxim is: “Do not grow weary in well-doing;”

A church gave $20 to $100 cash to each church member for “pay it forward” gifts to those in need. Several choose to give the gift cash to the same person/family. We often know who would most appreciate assistance;

Remember that “charity begins at home.” Confirm that your family members are ok before reaching out to others;

There are third world conditions right here in our own country. Donate American;

Start a go-fund-me page for those in need, with their permission;

Post a comment to my blog or send me an email with suggestions for helping others. Use the “Contact” page at DrMaryMcLaughlin.com

Visit “http://www.allforgood.org/”. This website lists many options for volunteering your time to help others in need in your own community.

Do you have children? Would you like to train them to help others? Visit the Mimi’s Guys page on Facebook to see what other children have done. This charity is the children’s affiliate of our 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, Cape Haven Inc . They can accept your children’s cash or gift card donations. Your children will receive an official acknowledgement of their donation for tax purposes.