Daily Acts of Charity

The current project I am working on, within MYP Design, has its roots in charity. We are asking pupils to consider a charity of their choice and then design a product suitable for that charity.I have asked all the pupils to consider the term charity and write a blog post about this. It only seemed fair that I did the same.Charity. At it's simplest the  online dictionary definition states that charity is:

"The voluntary giving of help, typically in the form of money, to those in need."

But is that all it is? Is the giving of money enough? I know that this is something that I do. I support many charities with monthly donations. This money is automatically deducted from my account and I have to make zero effort. I know that this constant supply of money is important as it allows each charity to plan projects for the coming year. C Armour at Charity Village  writes that those who donate regularly:

"...provide regular, predictable income, they are the most likely constituents to leave a legacy to their charities of choice."

As for me I feel good, I feel that I have helped causes that I believe in, I have eased my conscious!However, as I work with pupils through their CAS projects I reflect on this. I know I should be doing more. We demand so much of the pupils within the MYP and DP program, but how much do we (as teachers) do ourselves? What should I be doing to help charities grab that last bean? I am still unsure that I could give a definition of charity that differs from the one above, or that I have reached a conclusion on whether it is better to give money or time. However whilst writing this I have developed a list of what I intend to do this year:

1. Charities need financial aid so I will continue with the monthly donations
2. I love to craft and I will work with charities that require crafted goods, I need to continually check to ensure the charity still requires the goods (here is an interesting article discussing this)
3. I will be charitable to people around me (through words and deeds)
4. I will talk to the charities at the train station (if I have the language skills)
5. I will read any charity literature that I find in the post
6. I will look into the local charities in Zug (that are happy with non-German speakers)

This advert always makes me reflect on charity:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZGghmwUcbQWe all have the opportunity to make small changes in our daily lives that will help someone in our own community, not matter how rich or poor they may be. We all have the opportunity for daily acts of charity.