12 ways you can do good in just a few minutes

2024-03-18T16:17:42.344Z

Highlights: 12 ways you can do good in just a few minutes. As of: March 18, 2024, 5:00 p.m By: Michelle Anskeit CommentsPressSplit You can now use the organ donation register to register online whether you would like to be a donor. We'll show you other ways you could quickly help others. We'll explain to you what this important step is all about and what other ways there are that you can use to help those around you.

As of: March 18, 2024, 5:00 p.m

By: Michelle Anskeit

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You can now use the organ donation register to register online whether you would like to be a donor.

We'll show you other ways you can quickly help others.

Watching the news every day can often make you lose faith in humanity.

Luckily there are at least a few pictures that restore it too.

And some news also gives us hope: From today, March 18, 2024, for example, it will be possible for you to deposit your wishes regarding organ and tissue donation online in the central organ donation register.

This was set up by the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices.

We'll explain to you what this important step is all about and what other ways there are that you can use to help those around you within just a few minutes.

1. Organ donation

According to current figures, around 8,400 people are waiting for a donor organ.

In order to be able to help them, doctors are dependent on the help of people who want to donate their own organs after death.

Up to now, your information on this topic has been recorded primarily using an organ donor card, which many people carry in their wallet.

Now the new organ donation register is intended to help you centrally record the information you provide, of course, voluntarily and free of charge.

By stating whether or not you donate, you relieve both the hospital staff, who can access your relevant data around the clock, and your relatives, who will be relieved of this decision in an emergency.

And if you are still unsure: In our article we answer 9 questions that you have probably already asked yourself about organ donation.

Starting today, you can provide digital information about your decisions regarding organ donation.

2. Stem cell donation

Many blood cancer patients rely on so-called stem cell donations.

It is important to know that, according to the DKMS, only 30 percent of these people find donors in their own family.

You can therefore help by registering for stem cell donation.

This is easy to do via the DKMS website.

Here you will first be asked questions about your health and your contact information.

You will then be sent a registration kit with which you will need to do a simple cheek swab and then send it back.

Once your tissue sample has been analyzed, you will be registered in the database and can be contacted if you are a suitable match for someone.

“Put in the chopsticks, be a donor” © imago

3. Blood donation

Blood donations are also needed every day in Germany to save human lives.

You can easily find out where your nearest blood donation and plasma service is via the Federal Center for Health Education website.

The advantage for you: Not only do you help, but your blood is also tested for various diseases at the same time.

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You can save lives by donating blood.

4. Red Cross clothing donation

Especially thanks to TikTok, the fast fashion trend with hashtags like #Sheinhaul seems bigger than ever before.

You may have been particularly attracted by the cheap prices and we don't want to judge anyone for that.

Instead, we prefer to think in terms of sustainability: If you no longer like the clothes from your last haul, you can simply take them to a clothing donation and give them a second life.

Not only will you make yourself feel better, but you will also help people in need.

If you no longer need your clothes, you can easily donate them.

5. Donate deposit

We ourselves in the BuzzFeed Germany editorial team like to joke that pawns are the most German investment.

Maybe you have a few bags of returnable bottles lying around that you wanted to give away.

If it is financially possible for you, you can consider whether you would like to donate your deposit voucher next time.

This can often be done easily directly via the machine or through a small box next to it where you can insert the receipt.

You can then easily support various social projects.

Many supermarkets offer to donate your deposit voucher nearby.

6. PayPal donation

Maybe you've already seen it yourself: When you make a payment via PayPal, you are usually suggested to donate one euro to charitable organizations.

In the past, this included, among others, the Federal Association of Trans*.

So if you would like to help with a donation, you can simply tick this option when PayPal asks you when you make your next payment.

During the checkout process, you can often donate to a nonprofit organization via PayPal.

7. Round up at checkout

We used to collect actions that you can use to make cashiers pissed off.

What is definitely not one of them: telling the checkout that you want to round up!

According to information on the website of the same name, the “Germany rounds up” campaign has already raised 12,500,000 euros for socially disadvantaged children and young people.

When paying in cash, you not only save yourself and the checkout staff having to rummage around in your wallet and the cash register, but you also help.

Important: You can also round up using a card!

“Round up, please!” © Julian Stratenschulte/dpa

8. Donations in kind for people and animals

Especially now before Easter, there are many campaigns in which, among other things, donations are accepted for socially disadvantaged children in order to be able to give them a little joy during the holidays.

You can often simply check your region's website to see whether appropriate drop-off points are listed there.

But even outside of the holidays, donations in kind for both people and animals are always needed: You can regularly find out what is needed on websites such as Tafel or Vostel.de.

9. Become a volunteer shopping companion

You can certainly imagine that older people in particular often rely on support when shopping or are happy about it.

This is not only due to possible physical complaints or limitations, but also because many people feel lonely and are therefore happy to exchange ideas.

This is exactly why the Malteser “Mobile Shopping Cart” campaign exists.

As a volunteer, you can pick up seniors in one of the Malteser vehicles, accompany them shopping in groups and perhaps sit together over a coffee afterwards.

This will take you more than a few minutes, but you'll definitely enjoy the conversations.

In your free time, you can help seniors with shopping.

How necessary this time to talk is is also demonstrated by supermarkets such as Edeka and Rewe, which are now introducing “chatterboxes” to combat loneliness.

10. Become a phone buddy

But if you have a little less time, you can still help seniors who feel lonely and also sick people: as a “phone buddy”!

As the word suggests, when you volunteer, you make phone calls and listen to people who otherwise have few or no other people to talk to.

On the Malteser website you can find more information about both the “Mobile Shopping Cart” and the “Telephone Buddy” volunteer services.

As a phone buddy, you make phone calls to older or sick people.

11. Call grandma/grandpa

Sometimes it's the simplest things that we don't think about that make others happy: just pick up the phone again and call grandma or grandpa.

Maybe you're feeling lonely right now, have something on your mind or just want to complain about your annoying neighbor Hanz-Dieter again.

You can also quickly make others happy in your own private life.

12. Help other people in their everyday lives

Do you see someone taking off with a heavy suitcase or having to carry a stroller up the stairs because the elevator isn't working again?

Then ask nicely if you can perhaps help.

From my own experience I can tell you that these are the moments that people happily remember all day long.

If someone is carrying heavy suitcases or even a stroller, you can help.

Would you like more ideas?

Here are 9 ways you can volunteer.

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Source: merkur

All news articles on 2024-03-18