The One Ultimate List of Causes & Service Date Ideas

Every day there are people all over the world that need a helping hand. The relationship you have as a couple is strengthened when you make the lives of others better. A single act of kindness can have a ripple effect on you and the people you help. How do you find people to perform acts of kindness for? You can start by looking at the people in your life and asking yourself how you can help them. You can also ask people in your church or civic organization if they know of anyone you can help. The love you have as a couple can be magnified and turned into something truly spectacular when you work together to improve others' lives.

Going to an animal shelter can be a great date if the two of you are looking for a new pet to adopt. You can also volunteer at an animal shelter which is a great way to give back to the community and to share your love of animals on a date. Animal shelters are always in need of volunteers, and it's an excellent way for the two of you to spend some time together. During your volunteering date, you'll spend time with each other and take care of some of society's neediest animals. Knowing that you're improving the lives of animals while also spending quality time with the person you love makes this a no brainer date idea for many married couples.

Donating bone marrow can be a life-saving gift for some people. Have you ever thought about having a bone marrow donor date? This date activity is not for actually donating any bone marrow, it's for registering to become a donor. After you take a quick saliva sample it will be sent in for analysis and your information will be placed in a database. If someone needs a bone marrow transplant and your marrow would be a good match you may be called on to help. Even if you're never called upon to help it's still a great service you can provide and something that will make you good about doing. About 1 in 400 people end up being called to make a donation for someone in need.

Do you know someone in the hospital, serving in the military or maybe someone lonely or down on their luck? If so, making a care package for them is a great idea. If you belong to a church, you can ask your pastor if there are people who you can make care packages for. Making care packages during a date night will bring you closer together while also doing something great for other people. Any time that you can combine your energy to make lives better for others is a great date. Your compassion for others will improve your life and strengthen your relationship.

The joy of Christmas is something that people can never get enough of. Caroling is a fun way to spread the holiday cheer that so many people desperately lack. You can either go caroling in your own neighborhood or visit friends and sing outside where they live. If you know other couples who are into caroling, you could turn it into a double or group date. After you're done caroling, go inside and warm your bones with a hot foot or drink. There's no better way to end your caroling date than with a cup of sweet, creamy hot chocolate and maybe a cookie or two.

Donating blood is a great way to give back to the community while spending some time with each other. Try to have the nurse sit the two of you next to each other so you can talk while giving blood. Relax and enjoy yourself while you give blood. For some couples, a blood donation date is the only time they can relax and not worry about doing anything else. Sometimes it takes something out of the ordinary to make a couple pause the world around them for a brief moment. Other than the initial prick, giving blood is a date idea that helps you feel good about helping others who need it. Or if you're in need of a little cash look into donating plasma as well.

No matter what the current economic situation is like, there are always those who need financial assistance. Helping others and giving back to the community is a great way to spend some quality time with your spouse. You can either host the donation drive or participate in it. If your church has a canned food drive, for example, both of you can collect donations and put them away to be redistributed later. Don't limit yourself to just physical or monetary donations since some people are more willing or able to part with one over the other.

Fundraisers do all kinds of great things for the community. Helping others by raising money is a fantastic way to turn your date night into something that benefits so many people. There are so many different charities out there, and you can easily have several fundraising dates throughout the year. Set an individual goal or as a couple to see how much money you can raise. It will be exciting to see if you're able to make or break your goal. The harder you work, the more people will benefit from your date night. You'll be able to get away from the house, spend some quality time together, and change lives in the process. There aren't too many dates couples can go on in which all that can happen.

Doing something good for someone else is always a great way to spend your time. Why not turn doing good deeds for others into your next date? What kind of good deeds can you do? You can take an elderly person's dog for a walk. Why not go to the store and buy groceries for someone who is disabled? Sometimes the best thing you can do for others is to spend some time with them. You and your spouse could sit on the porch and talk to someone who never gets any visitors. Look for opportunities where you can pay it forward and do good deeds for others and turn them into dates that will be enjoyable for both of you and the person on the receiving end.

Habitat for Humanity does so many good things for our society. Donating your time as a couple to Habitat for Humanity is a fantastic way to give back to your community while also going out on a date. Don't worry if neither of you is a carpenter or can build a home, many tasks need to be completed, and people can do them with no experience. For example, you might clean up the construction site or help in another way. Though, if you can help build the house, it will be a fantastic feeling. Every time the two of you go by the home that you helped build, you will always remember your date. The best dates are always those that benefit the most, and few dates can benefit your community like donating your time and talents to Habitat for Humanity.

Being able to help your local homeless population is something that many people strive to do. Sadly, there will always be homeless people who need a place to stay. Someone has to volunteer to work at the shelters, and it's an excellent opportunity for a date. A date working at a homeless shelter? Why not? You are giving back to the community and also spending time together. There is no better way to enjoy each other's company while doing something positive. Many of the people you help will go on to live productive lives. The help you give them will have a ripple effect that lasts generations. For many, homelessness is the result of circumstances that are out of their control, and your help will change their lives forever.

All neighborhoods need cleaning up. Why not get together with your neighbors and have a neighborhood clean-up event? If that's not your cup of tea, try to find an elderly or disabled person who needs some help cleaning up their property. A date helping clean your block will make everyone happy. All of your neighbors will think of you when they see how clean everything is. You have to live in your neighborhood, and if it's clean, you'll enjoy spending more time outside. A clean neighborhood is a happy neighborhood, and that's why this is a fantastic way to spend a date night.

No one likes the idea of ending up in a nursing home. Just imagine how difficult it must be for people who live there. You can make their lives better by visiting or volunteering your time. Nursing homes often have games for their residents to play, such as bowling or bingo. Volunteers often are the ones who put the games on, and it's a great date idea. You can turn your date into something that everyone in the nursing home can enjoy. If you don't have time for that, you can always visit people in the nursing home. If you have friends, family, or people from your church in a nursing home, visit them during a date.

Have you ever thought about becoming an organ donor? If not, it's something that everyone needs to talk about. The discussion would make for a perfect date night activity. It's a conversation every couple needs to have. Why not make a list of the pros and cons of donating your organs? It will be interesting to see which one of you wants to donate their organs. You might find out that both of you either want to donate or don't want to. The conversation will go into all sorts of unexpected areas, which is good because it'll give you a chance to get to know your spouse better.

Are you a couple who has strong political convictions? If so, political canvassing can help your cause. Politics on the retail level is all about bumping shoulders and burning shoe leather. If the two of you feel strongly about the same candidates or causes, volunteering your time and turning it into a date is a great idea. You'll feel a sense of accomplishment, and you'll also get to spend time with the person you love more than anyone else in this world. You'll always remember your date fondly if your efforts helped push your cause or candidate over the top. If you're lucky you might even get to hobnob with some well known people giving you great stories to talk about for years.

Being in service to others means that you do whatever they need help with. You might offer your time to take someone to the doctor, clean their home, or walk their dog. Sometimes what people need is something that requires two more or to get the job done. By turning servicing the community into a date, you'll improve others' lives while spending time together. You will feel great about yourself and as a couple if you can do something that will make someone's life better. Even small tasks like doing laundry, raking leaves, or sitting down and talking to someone can significantly impact their life.

Upcycling is a creative way to reuse items that would otherwise end up in a landfill. The fun thing to do is try to create all kinds of items from a variety of materials that otherwise would've been wasted. You can use your masterpieces at home, give them away, or even sell them on eBay or Etsy. Working side by side and allowing your creative juices flow is an awesome way to have a date that is both fun and serves a purpose. Upcycling will enable you to make the world a better place, and turning it into a date can make it an enjoyable experience.

Churches, soup kitchens, and food banks all need volunteers. Your next date night could help those in need while also increasing your bond. The two of you could volunteer to clean a soup kitchen or to stock the shelves of a food bank. If you're an animal lover, contact your local animal shelter and see if they need volunteers. The love that you share for each other can impact your community by turning your date night into something that helps those who are less fortunate. Make yourself available during times when most people can't volunteer on days such as weekends to increase your odds of being able to help out.

It always seems like there's an election right around the corner. Have you ever thought about turning voting day into a date? Most people vote close to home, so you're never too far away from the voting booth. You can walk to the polling station and get a little fresh air. Why not go out to eat after you're done voting? If that isn't your cup of tea, then bring a picnic and find someplace to eat. The act of voting itself can be turned into a date. Voting is a duty that doesn't have to be dull and boring. You can turn it into a fun date, and the two of you can talk about the issues on the way to vote and after you've voted. The debate the two of you have may end up being more entertaining than what you see on those cable news channels.