I said it before and I will say it again, charity does not equal a direct monetary donation. So in that spirit I am going to provide you with 25 charitable ideas.
1. Read a book to kids during a library’s children’s hour.
2. Go to a nursing home and ask the nurses which resident does not get a lot of visitors and visit them.
3. Go to a pet shelter and offer to walk a dog.
4. If your pet does not like a certain food, do not throw it out, donate to a pet rescue.
5. Take old clothes to a homeless shelter.
6. Donate old cell phones to a shelter for abused women’s shelter. They program them for 911 usage.
7. Mow an elderly or ill neighbor’s yard.
8. Sign up for a church coffee hour to greet new guests.
9. Cook dinner for a local youth group.
10. Throw a sundae party for a local daycare.
11. If you buy bulk, donate a half of whatever to a food kitchen.
12. Donate old, but nice, kids’ toys to a pediatrician’s office.
13. Once you read those magazine’s that come in the mail, do not throw them out. Cut out your address label ad give them to the doctor’s office. Patients will appreciate updated articles.
14. Give a ride to a friend when they need to go to a doctor.
15. Offer to play a game with a group at a nursing home.
16. Offer to teach kids in the city how to sew or garden. A 4H club or a sewing circle can donate the items you may need.
17. Make a double batch of dinner and give half to a neighbor.
18. Pick a local family in need and donate the food for a holiday dinner to them.
19. Give an old working air conditioner to a senior center so they can give it to an elderly person in the summer.
20. Offer to help a non-profit organization with bulk mailings.
21. Donate your old stuffed animals to the local police department to give to children they encounter on police calls.
22. Teach a cooking class to a parenting class.
23. A lot of mental health hospitals who do long-term care accept donations of clothing for patients who come in with little resources. Consider donating clothes in nice condition to them.
24. Rescue a cat in the street and take him or her to a no-kill shelter.
25. Donate the books you read to your local library.

Give it a try!