How I Contribute To My Community As a Blogger – Giving Back

As a child – I knew that I had the power to make things happen.  Honestly, I’m thankful that my parents instilled in me that anything is possible and taught me that you or I could make a difference in anyone’s life – all we had to do is want to “be the difference!” (or at least try to make a difference)  I have always taken that advice and used it to my benefit and as inspiration to share my talents, my success and my hard work with the world.  Over the years, I have taken part in a plethora of community service and involvement and it’s always been a part of who I am.  I find joy in it but most importantly – I find joy in knowing that the time I took to assist someone or help out would make a difference in my community and hopefully, my world.  Today I share with you a few things I do as a Beauty and Lifestyle Blogger and Vlogger to contribute.  Many people say that they don’t have the resources to be able to help in their community – but the fact is, anything and everything you do counts towards making an impact – you just have to want to do it and make it happen.  Support comes in all forms, you just have to figure out what works best for you and get involved in Giving Back!

As a blogger or vlogger who talks about makeup, I get makeup, skin care, hair products and other samples at events or for editorial purposes consistently.  These products often times are sent to me to cover and write about on my blog or feature on my YouTube channel and many brands send a variety of different products for me to try.  Let’s be honest here, not all products can be utilized and it can be impossible to use them all before they expire.  Often times some products do not mesh well with my skin or hair so they may not be used.  A few years ago, I vowed to not let these products go to waste and have been donating them to different causes to help in different situations.  I donate my unused makeup to a women’s shelter or a local Theatrical Guild to help the students and artists create their many looks and costumes for performance.  The women’s shelter donations are sent in collaboration with my personal time, as I also offer up a small class that teaches these women easy skills on how to properly apply makeup for the workforce to help them build self confidence.  It’s been something I’ve been doing for years and I absolutely love it.  Since I get more products than I can use and I love teaching others to put on makeup, this is not a job for me, but rewarding in that I can use my experience and still give back to my local community.  Each time I go to the women’s shelter, I make little bags filled with things like shampoo, conditioner, cleansing wipes, body wash and some makeup that will allow them to put together an easy look.  I also pick up some items from the dollar section to help them apply their makeup – like tools from Eyes Lips Face, etc.  It’s not only rewarding to me to see that I can help build these women’s confidence, but I can offer them a tool to help get them on their feet.  Some of these women have had to leave their  homes in a hurry, so they have left everything behind.  This is another way to help give them a little confidence while giving them a little hope too.

While monetary items are so essential for community contribution, donating my time and things I already have make such a huge difference.  Since Honeygirl’s World is a lifestyle based blog, I also get a variety of products like food, school supplies, clothes and toys (to name a few) and those get donated to local shelters to help people who are down on their luck or need a little help to get on their feet.  Children’s books are popular and we donate those to our local school libraries or doctor’s offices to provide reading material for the keiki (keiki means “kids or children” in hawaiian).  I also like making little zip lock bags filled with shampoo and body wash or soap and deliver them to the local shelters for those who need them when they are staying there.

As a crafter I enjoy spending some time volunteering at schools, teaching children how to make fun crafts to take home and share with their families and I also love talking at the local High Schools about bullying and self confidence.  All of these things keep me busy, but they are beyond rewarding and I’m able to not only teach my children how important community contribution is, but I can also help where I can – so I enjoy doing so.  Reading to children in the shelters or offering my time to play games and talk story with the elderly are just a few things that I love to do to contribute to my community.  I love that I can get my children involved because they help with donations and volunteer work and they enjoy it just as much.

As I mentioned before – while money and actual donations make a huge difference in anyone’s life – sometimes it’s not feasible for us to provide that.  Many of us however, do have skills so I love to utilize that when I myself are a little down on my luck.  By donating my time helping or by teaching other people how to apply makeup or get them prepared for the workforce, I’m helping to build confidence and hopefully stability in these people’s lives.  I also enjoy working in the mountains and fields to help my Hawaiian culture, by perpetuating what my ancestors built and helping to self-sustain our islands.  Like I mentioned before, it’s little things that add up to be big things to make a difference.  I also feel that teaching my children to provide community impact will help in that they will influence their peers to want to get involved too.

We Can All Band Together!

Today I want to share with you another way you can Give Back.  The “Band Together” Campaign from Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company is a great way.  The Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company is set to donate a total of $2 million to support three important causes – health, home and hunger through their corporate giving campaign called Band Together.  The nonprofits benefiting from this cause are:  St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Habitat for Humanity and Feeding America or Food Banks Canada.

So how can you take part?  Band together with Jewelers Mutual to help decide how to disperse the record-breaking donation.  It’s easy to do! Simply vote for your choice of causes from July 11, 2016 at 11am CT to July 31, 2016 at 11pm CT.  The cause that receives the most votes by the end of July will receive $1 million donation from Jewelers Mutual.  The runner-up will receive $700,000 and $300,000 will go to the third-place winner.

Of course, voting to support the cause is such a wonderful act, but throughout the three-week campaign, voters will be entered for a chance to win weekly jewelry prizes from STACKED New York.  Each week, one lucky winner will receive a set of 3 stacking bands ($450 retail value).  You can vote daily to increase your chances of winning!

What are your favorite ways of giving back or how do you contribute to your community?  Comment below and let me know how you make a difference and don’t forget to head on over to help Band Together with Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.