There are lots of great activities and deeds you can take part in to help make Waterloo Region a better place for everyone. Visit each of the Cody Bear™ Ambassadors’ Community categories to learn how you can make positive-change in our community. Then visit our Facebook page to let us know what you’ve been up to.
Environment
- Organize a group of friends to visit one our your favourite parks, then spend some time cleaning up.
- Compost! Make sure your house is using the green bin for food scraps and anything that is compostable. Spread the word on your street to make sure everyone is doing their part to reduce household waste.
- Does your house use a lot of plastic grocery bags? Create a system for grocery shopping using only reusable bags.
- Gardening! Not only is it a great way to grow food, it’s also fun! Growing your own food is a good way to reduce your ecological footprint (plus you can give a produce basket to a neighbour as a nice gift).
- Recycle as much as you can!
Neighbours
- Be friendly to everyone in your neighbourhood. Wave to your neighbours when you see them outside and say hi to the people you know.
- Spend time with your neighbours. If you have older friends of the family close by, it might be nice to spend some time with them reading, having lunch, or just talking.
- Gather your friends and sing for a local retirement community.
- Ask if there’s anything you can do to help. Ask your parents if it’s alright to help out your neighbours with a few of their chores. Maybe they need help pulling weeds or shoveling their driveway.
Teamwork
- Be a real team player. That means looking out for everyone, not just for yourself. If you play on any sports teams, being a good team player means congratulating others on their good work and having a great attitude.
- As a team you are working with other people to achieve something. You all have the same goal. In school, you may work on a project as a group or in a pair. Being a good team means everyone gets an opinion and you work together.
- Teamwork also means never leaving anyone out. If you’re playing a game in your neighbourhood and at recess and you see someone watching, invite them to join the fun!
Leadership
- Being a leader doesn’t mean being bossy; it means being able to guide your peers in a way that makes them happy. At recess try organizing a game.
- Organizing a group of friends to do great work in the community is the perfect way to be a leader. Any of the examples on this page are a good place to start.
Giving Back
- Find a local charity that you really care about and start raising awareness for them. You can do this simply by talking to your friends and family about it, or by fundraising for the charity. If they run events, volunteer to participate at their next one, then share your experience with everyone.
- Collect non-perishable food items for the food bank.
- Donate your unused clothes and toys. Get the family on board and gather any lighted used clothes or toys that you can donate to someone in need.
School
- Lead by example at school. Be nice to everyone, not just your friends. Every day try saying hi to at least one new person (someone you’ve never talked to before). You’ll be amazing how many people say hi back and how many new friends you’ll make!
- Be a helper! Ask your teacher what you can do to help.
- Tutoring. If you’re great at a subject, why not share your knowledge. Offer to help other students with their homework or to work together on a project.
Family
- It’s always important to be a contributing family member. This means helping out with household chores.
- Show the love. Make sure you tell your family every day how much you love and appreciate them.
- Don’t forget about the fun. Show your family how much you care about them by organizing a fun family day.
- Get your family involved with the community. Work together to give back to those in need or to clean up your neighbourhood.
Community
- Educate other people in the community about all the things you’re doing to help the environment, your neighbourhood and the community.
- Being helpful and kid is a great place to start. If you think about how you can make someone’s day better, you’re helping our community become a great place. Any of the tips on this page are a great place to start.
