As you think about your New Year resolutions, you may be trying to figure out good ways to give back to your community. We have some creative ways you can use your existing or NEW home to connect and give back to your community.

1.  Offer the Gift of Reading to Neighbors: A company called A Little Free Library allows you to buy a community book box that can be placed in your area. The concept is that you can share books back and forth through a small community library.

2.  Open Your Home to Evacuees:Air BnB is now offering a place on their website to allow you to post your home as a place for people to stay when they are affected by emergencies like hurricanes, forest fires, flooding and other disasters.

3.  Host a Refugee: Rooms for Refugees a place that allows temporary shelter to someone who is forced to flee their country who doesn’t have the means to support themselves.

4.  Host a Cancer Patient & Their Family: Contact your local hospital to see if you can help host a family of someone who is getting treatments locally (but lives in another city). Offering lunch or a place to stay could be helpful to them during this difficult time.

5.  Host a Dinner: Do a progressive dinner in your neighborhood or host a block party. Help become a place where your community can come hang out. One idea we love is – front yard Friday where you host an impromptu party outside with coolers and pizza. This allows the kids to play and everyone to chip in for a community dinner – in an easy and stress-free way.