HOW TO HELP OTHERS

50 Outreach Ideas

Whether you’re a small ecclesia, a CYC, or an individual, the ways you can help and provide for others is endless. Sometimes, it starts with just a smile…

Every community is unique and you need to first know your neighbors to understand how to best help them. Volunteer at a soup kitchen or donate household items to Habitat for Humanity. Everything is important and everything is appreciated.

Here are 50 outreach ideas to get you started:

  1. Rent or donate your hall space to the community 
  2. Community café at your hall
  3. Community choir
  4. Sponsor a local assisted living facility or nursing home
  5. Parent and toddler group
  6. Charity Coffee mornings
  7. Foodbank donations or run a food pantry in your hall
  8. Join or set up a time bank (https://timebanks.org/)
  9. After school and breakfast clubs at your hall
  10. Allow locals to use your car park during the week
  11. Christmas or Thanksgiving Day meal for your local community
  12. Carry cafe vouchers to give to the homeless
  13. Community lunches or Saturday breakfasts
  14. English speaking classes (ESL)
  15. Knit & Natter groups
  16. Sales for charity
  17. Set up or help at a soup kitchen
  18. Help packing people’s shopping in local supermarket
  19. Kids’ Holiday club
  20. Free car washing
  21. Prayer sessions – invite your community to give prayer requests
  22. Car trunk sales
  23. Summer street party
  24. Prayer walk- take time to walk through the local streets and ask God to help you find those in need
  25. Random acts of kindness
  26. Set up a community pantry
  27. Crafting days for adults
  28. Plant bulbs and flowers around the community
  29. Offer exercise classes 
  30. Free wi-fi and Computer access
  31. Hot meals for the elderly
  32. Garden clearing for locals
  33. Free Extra tuition – teachers
  34. Support workers- provide classes on grief, addictions, mental health
  35. Board games evening
  36. Mechanics- free oil change
  37. Accountants- budgeting advice
  38. Church in the park- move outside
  39. Chefs- cooking classes
  40. Organize Refugee accommodation
  41. Donate to local charities as an ecclesia
  42. Post ‘gifts’ to your neighbors- for example, seeds at Easter time
  43. Offer your hall for health screenings or blood donations
  44. Hand out free bottles of water at ball games
  45. House repairs for the elderly
  46. Movie on the lawn and a BBQ for your neighbors
  47. Thanksgiving community dinner at the hall
  48. Family Fun Around the Bible (FFAB): Arts and crafts for elementary kids (accompanied by parents) with Bible Story, songs, followed by a meal (you can signpost families from your local food bank).
  49. Free help with tax returns.
  50. Another way to do outreach is to work with an established charity. Here are a few national charities that have branches all North America: