The face of serving one's community has changed vastly, especially over the past year and a half. Now more than ever, non-profits need your help. Even if you're concerned with going out to physically get involved, you can still make a difference from your apartment home. Below are just a handful of ways you can make a difference.

Get Up and Running - Participate in 5Ks for Causes

Running for a cause not only helps those in need, but is a great way to get up, get outside and get some exercise.

Last year and the beginning of this year, many of these run/walks pivoted towards a virtual format where people signed up to run at their own pace and entry fees still went to the organizations to support their efforts. Atlanta Mission was one of these organizations. For over a decade, their 5K has raised funds to provide aid for those experiencing homelessness in the City of Atlanta. The pandemic didn't stand in their way.

That said, many events are now back to being hosted in person. The Magnolia Run and Walk for Epilepsy in Sandy Springs is included in that. They were back in person this August. It starts at the King and Queen Buildings which is about a 10-minute drive from Camden Creekstone and 15-minute drive from Camden Dunwoody. This event has already occured for this year but takes place every August in Sandy Springs.

If you're not up for being in big crowds, not a problem! From October 16-17, 2021 - you can run anywhere you want to raise money for the Georgia Nurses Foundation.

Looking for more ways to run for a good cause? Check out this list of charity 5Ks in Atlanta. Some of them even have virtual options.

Find the Drive - Food Pantry Drives, School Supply Drives, and Clothes Drives

Everyone has things they can shed from their closet, their pantry... their wallet ;) But, in all seriousness, another way is to serve is to go through your things. Look for items you don't use anymore and donate them. Your gently used items could make a world of difference to a family in need.

Where do you find places to donate items? Many Atlanta businesses have programs in place that do the legwork for you (isn't that nice of them)! These programs are focused on giving back to the community.

Camden has Camden Cares. Camden team members have a passion for community service and giving back to the neighborhoods and cities where we live and work. Nearly ten years ago, Camden established the Camden Cares program to assist charitable organizations through donations and volunteer hours. Our efforts over the years have focused on veterans, hunger, and housing-related causes as well supporting community crisis centers, food banks, schools, and animal shelters and more.

With students starting to go back to school, teams in Atlanta held a Camden Cares school supplies drive. They collected school supplies from Camden team members and residents to provide The Andrew P. Stewart Center and the Community Assistance Center (17 minutes from the Camden Creekstone and Camden Dunwoody communities) to assist local Atlanta students and teachers.

Stay Organized - Volunteer Time To Help Keep Non-Profits Organized

Once you donate items, you can also stay involved by volunteering your time. Luckily, through Camden Cares, Camden team members get the opportunity to take time every year to give back to do something like this for local non-profits.

On July 7, Camden Shiloh in Kennesaw held their Camden Cares event with the MUST Ministries Donation Center, mere minutes from the community. The team, along with the Atlanta Summer intern, organized the clothing closet, as well as their food pantry.

MUST Ministries is not the only place that can use this type of help. The Atlanta Community Food Bank relies on volunteers to organize food donations and also prepare and deliver it to recipients in the community. You can sign up to volunteer as a group or individually.

The Camden Shiloh team at MUST Ministries in Atlanta, GA

Get Your Hands Dirty and Clean Up the Community

Sometimes volunteering can be a messy job, but someone's gotta do it right? You might be physically exhausted afterward, but there is no better feeling than getting down and dirty to make a difference.

Camden Phipps volunteered with The Covenant House in Atlanta for their Camden Cares event. The Covenant House is a resource center for youth experiencing homelessness in Atlanta. The team worked outside to help with beautifying the grounds – they pressure washed, cleaned up litter and even gardened. The team even provided the materials for the new flower beds.

You can find opportunities to pitch in all over Atlanta, including beautifying Piedmont Park. You can sign up on their website or through Hands On Atlanta.

The Camden Phipps team volunteering at The Covenant House in Atlanta, GA

More Ways to Help

The examples I provided only scratch the surface. The rest is up to you. Hands On Atlanta is a great place to go for more information.

Learn more about Camden Cares, and visit our posts about other ways to virtually volunteer.

You can also check out more about Atlanta’s Camden apartment communities by visiting the links below.