NATIONAL MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAY
National Make A Difference Day brings community service to a whole new level each year. Organizations join forces on the fourth Saturday in October to make a difference, big or small.
#MakeADifferenceDay
Millions of people have united in the common mission to improve the lives of others.
For more than 20 years, USA Weekend and Points of Light sponsored National Make a Difference Day. It became the largest national day of community service. However, the two organizations no longer promote the community service weekend. Despite that, the event carries on, thanks to many with like-minded beliefs in their communities.
All across the country, organizations pick up the tools required to help others during this weekend. Sometimes, they pick another weekend in October. However, they do it, they do so making a difference in the lives of others and their communities. The expression of love for each other through support and good ol’ elbow grease is sometimes all we need to make a difference.
HOW TO OBSERVE MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAY
Making a difference can come in many forms so this day is wide open for participation!
- Volunteer in your community or for an organization with merit.
- Be a mentor. Help a youth or another professional to gain new skills.
- Make a donation to a charity with meaning to you.
- Say a kind word of support to someone who is struggling.
- Put your skills to work. Sometimes our hobbies can bring joy to others in ways we least expect it.
Do what you can to make a difference and use #MakeADifferenceDay to post on social media.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAY HISTORY
Make a Difference Day was created in 1992 by USA WEEKEND magazine and joined by Points of Light. Together they sponsored the largest national day of community service for more than twenty years. While the organizations no longer support Make a Difference Day, the observance still impacts communities around the country. Volunteers and organizations have taken up the banner to help their communities in ways that best fit their needs.
Those Who Make A Difference
- Laurence Segal’s Cans For Cancer (Bottles 4 A Cure) collects bottles and cans each year in the name of Make A Difference Day. The proceeds are donated to cancer research.
- The Center for Nonprofit Management at MSU Texas in Wichita Falls, Texas promotes an event in the spirit of the day, too. Check out their Calendar of Events for dates and times.
- Central School of Grand Cane, Louisiana will participate by spending the day sanding and painting picnic tables. The National Honor Society members are volunteering their time for this project.
- The Kiwanis Club embraces the Make A Difference Day theme each year. Learn more about their projects by visiting kiwanis.org.
- The TRIO Club at Centralia College in Centralia, Washington will be supporting the local ECEAP program with shoes and coats for 3-5 year-olds.
- The Volunteer Center in Winnetka, IL, hosts a volunteer event each year.
- Forest City, California, hosts events each year that support those in the community.
- Since 2008, Fountain Hills Arizona has been participating in National Make A Difference Day. Volunteers support a variety of opportunities to help their community and those who live there.
Do you know an organization that carries on the torch for Make A Difference Day each year? Send us the information through our Contact Us link. and we’ll add it to the list.
Make a Difference FAQ
Q. How does volunteering make a difference?
A. There are numerous ways that volunteering makes a difference:
- Improves skills – Volunteering improves your skills and improves the skills of others. When you share your talent with others, you also act as a mentor, showing others at least one way to do something to improve your community and the lives of those who live in it.
- Bring enjoyment – Your volunteer task may bring beauty and fun events to your community.
- Supports others – Volunteering often helps others to improve their situation. You may make it possible for someone to eat a hot meal, keep a roof over their head or make their home safer.
- Fill a need – Volunteers often step forward when they see a need in the community where they live. It may be collecting school supplies or creating an after-school program for children.
Q. Q. How many people in the United States volunteer their time?
A. According to Nonprofit Source, about 25% of adults volunteered in some capacity in 2016.
DATES
22 October 2022
27 October 2023
26 October 2024
25 October 2025
24 October 2026
23 October 2027
28 October 2028
23 October 2029