For many the holiday season means cozying up with loved ones, giving and receiving presents, and indulging in good food and memories. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for everyone. Around the world there are others who are struggling to find clean water, never learned to read or write, and/or are facing troubling health issues.
Fortunately, there are several apps out there that make helping our fellow man and woman simple, easy, and effective.
Here are a few of the ways you can give back using charity apps this holiday season:
Charity Miles
Stay fit and healthy while earning money for charity with this handy app. The more active you are while using the Charity Miles app, the more money you earn for your chosen charity (which is extremely helpful during the time of year when we are surrounded by cookies, cakes, and mashed potatoes). The only catch is you have to share your workout on social media, but that only means you’re spreading the good word!
ShareTheMeal
As the first app against global hunger, the premise behind ShareTheMeal is brilliant. This app makes it easy for you to donate money to feed a child for a day, week, or on a regular basis—simply with a tap. You can even share the info on social and persuade others to feed a child in need.
To date, nine million meals have been shared through the app. Let’s try to get it to 10 million before 2017.
Instead
Who doesn’t love to splurge every now and again? Well, the team who created the Instead app challenges users to re-think that over-the-top purchase with a healthy dose of perspective.
Putting our routines into context, Instead shows us how giving up that extra latte at Starbucks could be used to provide clean drinking water for someone in need. The Instead app then becomes almost game-like, pushing you to make small changes that will affect someone else’s world in a big way.
Donate a Photo
Of course, we think this is the best charity app as it combines a few of our favorite things. Recognizing the propensity our society has for snapping pictures for social—whether, on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Snapchat—Johnson & Johnson came up with a brilliant idea to turn those photos into good deeds.
Johnson & Johnson gives you $1 to donate to a good cause for every photo you take with the Donate a Photo app. From women’s and children’s health to education and equality, there are plenty of ways to put your dollars to good use.
Don’t worry about your photos getting used for anything nefarious, either. The pics you donate are only used to promote the Donate a Photo app to get others to join in on the charity.
The above is only a portion of the useful charity apps out there to help others throughout the holiday season. Find the one that’s right for you and the causes you believe in!
