15 Ways to Be More Like This Canadian Bus Driver

Kris Doubledee, Bus Driver
Photo: Winnipeg Free Press

This is a cool story that caught my eye! A bus driver in Winnipeg, Canada pulled over while he was on his route and gave his shoes to a homeless man. This is making headlines all over North America! 

Why? 

I mean, yes, it's great that he did this, but at the same time, why aren't actions like this one commonplace? Why don't more people help out other people who are obviously in need? I'm not trying to make it sound like I do, and all of you reading this are scum of the earth or something for not helping people. I'm just saying, let's take a look at what we currently do for other people and then let's take a look at what we are capable of doing for other people. Then let's see how close we can come to our potential. We can make the world a better place together!

15 Ways to Help People You Don't Know (From Least Amount of Work to Most)

• Smile at someone in the store or on the sidewalk.
• Say "good morning" to someone you pass.
• Donate quality clothes to a charity. Just because people are poor doesn't mean they enjoy wearing crappy clothes that are stained or torn.
• Give a stranger you see a compliment.
• Pick a person at random out of the phone book and write them a card that tells them you hope they have a great day. Send them the card and don't expect anything back.
• When you go grocery shopping, buy extra healthy food and donate it to the food bank.
• Ask someone on the bus who looks sad or frustrated how their day is going. Then listen to their answer and care about it.
• Volunteer to help serve one meal at a soup kitchen.
• Next time you bake, make an extra (cake, loaf of bread, cookies, etc), and take it to your neighbor even if you don't know them.
• Volunteer in the urban schools to read to kids once a week.
• Find Habitat for Humanity in your community. Build a house in a weekend for a family in need.
• Work with the Boys and Girls Club. Learn about the kids you meet and how you can help them.
• Find the nearest international community center to you and see if they need an after school English teacher. Do not expect to get paid.
• Work for a nonprofit organization.
• Start your own nonprofit organization!

I know these aren't all the ways you can help people, but it's a start. You can make a world of difference to someone, and if you make positive change in one person's life, you've made the world a better place. 

Let's make change in the world; let's make headlines like the one about the bus driver in Winnipeg more common! 

Have a great weekend!

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi