I have been involved in a variety of charitable activities, from volunteering to sponsoring to simply donating.

If you have the urge and are looking for a way to positively impact your community, my #1 recommendation is to find an elementary school nearby and volunteer to mentor a child. It's one of those things that is so simple and direct that you don't hear much about it. There is some background checking that the school district will need to do. Even if your math or other academic skills are not where you think they should be, just showing up does a lot for those being mentored.

Chances are good that you will receive more than you give.

The runner up in this category is to go coach a YMCA team in your favorite sport. Up to 1st and 2nd grade coaching is primarily about very basic skills and just trying to keep the kids having fun. At those ages we all have trouble just standing and listening, so you have to set your expectations appropriately and accept that 20-80% of your team may be chasing a bug at any given time. If you want to delve more into skill and team development, 3rd grade and up is when kids as a group become very coachable.

Enjoy....