I got to thinking about this after reading an article on Huffington Post.  Yes, I'm a HuffPo addict and I proudly admit to my addiction.  

We are, likely, ALL short on cash for donating to worthy causes.   I know I certainly don't have a bank vault sitting out behind the house that I can dip into when things get "tight" financially and I am certain that most of the rest of the people around here don't either. 

There are a wealth of websites where you can give pet food to shelters, donate mammograms,  donate food to feed the hungry, etc...   One of those sites lets you play a trivia game and for each specific number of points you accumulate grains of rice get added to  your virtual bowl.  The game is rather addictive though IF you are, like me, a trivia nut.  

IF I ever learn to make clickable links around here (which I doubt will happen since I lack the INCLINATION to learn THAT particular "trick") the following will be clickable.  For the moment though, just copy and paste them.  

http://www.freerice.com/ (play a trivia game and donate rice to feed hungry people)  

http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=2 (mammograms)  

http://www.thehungersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=1 (Food to feed the hungry)  

http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=3  ( pet food) 

I'm certain that there are other similar sites.  I'm also certain that since some of the brightest people on the internet are to be found right here on OS *we* can come up with OTHER ways to help people and animals in need in our own neighborhoods.  

As a "for instance"...  

The local Road Commission requires the men who drive the trucks to wear blue jeans rather than uniforms.   A while back I contacted a couple of the guys at the Road Commission that I know and "volunteered" to spend some of my free time patching their work jeans for them IF they made a donation to the local food pantry (either food or cash) or the local Angel Food Ministries (cash).   This has gone over so well that on a monthly basis there are 3 "baskets" of food donated to families who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford them through Angel Food Ministries in addition to several boxes of food and cash donated to the local food pantry.  It may only be a "couple of bucks" at a time being donated BUT every little bit helps when people are hungry.  

Help organize a "Giving Tree" so that school children who NEED things like paper, pencils and crayons for school have them?  

I'm SURE that there are a million other ideas out there.   Let's ALL help one another come up with ideas...    What kinds of things are you doing in your part of the world to help others?