The midterms are over – but I’m writing this prior to the election so I don’t know who won. What I do know is that regardless of who wins, staying involved in civic affairs is important all through the year. Here are five ways you can stay involved:

Give money

• Put your spare change in the jar. Opt to round up. A little goes a long way.
• Make a small donation but set it to be paid monthly. Most non-profits have an option for that and will automatically deduct the amount you stipulate from your bank account or PayPal monthly. This means tha they can count on a steady flow of income, however large or small, and it means that over the course of a year you can give much more than you could in the space of a month.

Give Time

• Volunteer: Whether you put in an hour, a day, or several hours a week, you are contributing to your community and, hopefully, making friends and feeling a sense of accomplishment while doing it.
• Read the Paper: Subscribe to a newspaper. Don’t rely on Facebook for your news. Plus, you can do this in bed, in your pajamas.
• Attend a City Council meeting: Your voice has most power at the local level. Attending a City Council meeting will help you understand the personalities and procedures that go into local governance.

Bonus:

• spay and neuter your pets
• Get your flu shot – you protect others as well as yourself
• Wash your hands – see above
• make art
• Be an organ donor (you know…eventually). Put that little pick sticker on your driver’s licence and check yes on medical forms.