When we're talking about helping the world, it sounds like a tall order.  It's a big world out there, and the problems can make ordinary people look small.  But there's a lot that you can do.

Since most people think of this subject in terms of charitable giving, let's start by talking about that.  What can you do?

For starters, you can get choose a cause, and donate.  Choosing is actually the important part.  Unless you choose a charity, you'll just be overwhelmed by the variety of them out there. The best way to make this choice is to find some cause that means something to you personally, and give to that.  For my part, I like the MS Society, and the University of Michigan, so these are the two organizations that benefit the most from my giving.

You don't have to give money, though.  A lot of non-profits have work done by volunteers.  Agian, to use a personal example, I pack food at a food bank about every two months.  I got involved with them about 2 years ago, after I met the food bank's secretary at my work (I'm in advertising; she was delivering some material to a coworker of mine at the ad company).  When I saw what she did, I thought it'd be nice to help, and she told me to just come on down.  They put me to work packing up grocery boxes for their clients, and I've been going back about every 7 or 8 weeks ever since.

Finally, you can take a look around yourself.  Look at your neighborhood, or at the park bench where you're eating lunch, or at the bus stop outside your work, or even just at the sidewalk in front of your house.  What's there?  Are there bits of trash around?  Is the grass unkempt?  Are people tossing cigarette butts in the gutter?  These are all easy things to "fix," if only someone simply would....

So why not be that someone?