You’ve probably heard it said before: “Children are the future.” The values and morals we instill in children while they are young will only continue to grow as they enter adulthood. This means that raising children as respectful, responsible and altruistic people will help them to be respectful, responsible and altruistic adults.  And what’s one of the most effective ways to instill good values and compassion in kids? Through giving back. Oftentimes when we think of voluntee

You’ve probably heard it said before: “Children are the future.” The values and morals we instill in children while they are young will only continue to grow as they enter adulthood. This means that raising children as respectful, responsible and altruistic people will help them to be respectful, responsible and altruistic adults.  And what’s one of the most effective ways to instill good values and compassion in kids? Through giving back. Oftentimes when we think of voluntee

Welcome to the month of October, where the crunchy leaves drift across the road and the faint smell of pumpkin spice drifts through the air. October tends to be a fan-favorite month. Whether it’s watching football games, heading out to the pumpkin patch or getting dressed up for Halloween, there are lots of fun, family-friendly activities to do during October. And of course, one thing you can always do is volunteer to give back in your community. Sometimes, we want to volunte

We all remember our elementary school teachers telling us how important reading is. While we may not have listened then, we’re certainly listening now. Turns out, reading on a consistent basis has some serious benefits in store. If you’re a bookworm, you know just how great reading can be. If you’re not, check it out, and see all the benefits books can give.   Reading engages mental stimulation. Keeping your brain active and engaged helps keep it from slowing over time. Studi

Pumpkin spice lattes at every coffee shop, changing colors in the trees and spooky decorations just around the corner… It's that time of year again! Autumn is often celebrated for its hayrack rides, pumpkin carvings and haunted houses, but what about its philanthropy opportunities? How can you use this time to raise money for your favorite causes? Make this season about more than just pumpkin spice lattes and costumes. Check out some of these ideas on how you can give back th

If you’re a parent, you know how easily kids soak up information. They pick up on stuff faster than we care to imagine, and take in the world around them like little sponges.  We all want our kids to grow up to live happy and healthy lives, but what about altruistic lives? Values and beliefs instilled now flourish into actions later. What can you do to instill philanthropic values in your children? To get you started, here are six ways to teach your child about giving.   1. V

It’s that time of year again: the time when leaves turn bright colors and start to crunch beneath your feet, the air gets brisk and fresh and Mother Nature prepares for the cold coming months ahead. It’s fall , and it’s the most colorful season of the year! Fall is a fun and joyous time, full of pumpkins and spooky nights and delicious food. If you’re looking to celebrate this multicolor season in style with your family, check out these fun fall adventures you need to go on t

There’s a lot of great things that come with adulthood: making your own decisions, staying up whenever you want, having your own money… the list goes on. Still, there are some not-so-great things that come with being an adult: paying bills, having to go to work, not having someone to take care of you when you’re sick, etc.  The truth is sometimes we all need to feel like a kid again. If you’re tired of adulthood and want to rewind the clock, check out these six activities to

When you volunteer, you get the satisfaction of knowing you helped someone out, even if only for a day. However, did you know volunteering also helps yourself? Studies have found that volunteering can positively impact both your body and your mind. We’re here to tell you all about the different ways doing good in your community can do some good for yourself.   Volunteering helps you stay physically and mentally active. Many volunteer opportunities require you to be on your fe

Happy back-to-school season! You can almost smell it in the air—the scents of freshly sharpened pencils, crisp new shoes out of the box, and eraser shavings. Summer is quickly coming to an end, and parents everywhere are eagerly—or not so eagerly—getting their kids out the front door and into the school building. There are plenty of things that accompany the start of school—shopping for supplies, new haircuts and maybe even signing up for extracurriculars. Of course, one thin

As communal beings, humans were designed to be together. We’re made to interact with each other, to grow, love and learn together. One of the greatest ways to live a well-rounded and happy life is to focus on the relationships you surround yourself with. Whether they’re familial, romantic or platonic, relationships are vital to beneficial and stable lives. So how can we learn to build positive and enriching relationships? Take a look at these top eight tips for some ideas.   

It covers 70% of the Earth, makes up about 60% of the human body and is the foundation of life for almost all living things. What is it? You guessed it: water. Water is vital to our existence and to our wellbeing, but in recent decades pollution and other harmful practices have consistently damaged the water we live by, drink and cook with. Needless to say, clean water is important. During a month when everyone is out enjoying lakes, rivers, oceans and ice-makers are working

Did you know that at this very moment more than 120,000 people in the United States are in need of a life-saving organ? According to the American Transplant Foundation (ATF), a new person is added to this list every 12 minutes.  With organ donations, tissue or organs are removed surgically from a deceased or living donor, and transplanted to the person in need. For individuals and their families, the words “You need a new organ” are earth-shattering. Luckily, we can make a di

There’s a lot going on in the world right now. Between the news, the community and our personal lives, it can be pretty easy to get overwhelmed, stressed out and even upset. As human beings, our automatic reaction doesn’t always lean in the most positive direction. How can you live an altruistic lifestyle when negativity is on your mind? Today we've got the answers as we share six tips to help train your brain to be more positive.   1. Start your day off right. The best way t

Summertime is the season of vacation time, and why not? It’s the season of a beautiful sky, gorgeous weather and fun holidays. Vacation is an important part of summer, and should definitely be taken advantage of.  However, vacation can also be a pretty big hassle. It’s expensive, difficult to plan and can somehow be more stressful than your non-vacation life. Luckily, a great vacation doesn’t have to be an elaborate vacation. Today, we’ve collected six reasons why you should

You know the old saying, “The early bird gets the worm.” One study published by the American Psychological Association found that self-professed “morning people” reported feeling happier and healthier than their night owl counterparts. There’s also a distinct reason why many top executives are early risers. With fewer distractions in the morning, more time for breakfast and the chance to start your day off with a good workout, being productive in the morning matters. And sinc

We all have goals in life. Whether they’re professional, personal or physical, our goals push us toward our larger purposes in life. They give us targets to aim for, and when we accomplish them, we can look on to the next target, as we keep moving forward toward our ultimate mission in life. Of course, none of this is possible if we don’t actually accomplish our life goals. Setting goals is simple. We’ve all heard different phrases, acronyms and ways to properly set a goal fo

Summer is officially here, which means it’s time to grab the potting soil and shovel and get to work. Not everyone has a green thumb, but gardening doesn’t have to yield visible benefits; sometimes the feeling of accomplishment is all you need. Gardening has been found to positively affect people’s physical and mental health. If you’re looking for a way to get outside while also improving your whole self, gardening may be the hobby for you.   Gardening can lower your risk of

At this point, you’ve probably heard all of the pros about volunteering. You can make a difference in the community, you can impact future generations, you can simply brighten someone else’s day, and so on and so forth. There are no limits to all of the positives that go hand-in-hand with an altruistic lifestyle.  But, one benefit in particular which often gets overlooked is how volunteering affects you . Sure, you know volunteering has a positive influence (make friends, bui

The Greek philosopher Plato once said, “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” Thousands of years later, and these words still ring true.  No matter how old you are, what your musical taste is or whether or not you can read a note, there’s never a wrong time to learn how to play an instrument. In fact, there are significant advantages to learning music. Check out these five health benefits from playing music.