As Founder and CEO of Hello Neighbor, Sloane Davidson is a lifelong philanthropist passionate about cause-filled living, or creating a life with meaning through giving back. Last year Sloane wanted to find a way to support recently resettled refugees in her neighborhood and hosted a Syrian family for Thanksgiving. That memorable dinner was the catalyst for Hello Neighbor, a mentorship program for refugees and immigrants that is currently in its first class of mentors and mentees with 25 “matches” in her hometown of Pittsburgh, PA. And she has plans underway to expand into other cities!
Like a high-yield business, cause-filled living requires you to be organized. Think about it in terms of investment and returns. To define your investment strategy, consider your next year of life and how much you can give to your cause, whether it’s time or money. Maybe you have an extra $100 a month you’d love to give to a cause, or want to volunteer every Saturday. When Sloane started being intentional about her contributions to causes, she gave the equivalent of one month’s rent throughout the year, as it was realistic for her life and something she could accomplish.
Regardless of your cause, identifying what you want out of your efforts will keep you focused, organized and on track to create real change in the world around you.
Creating a caused-filled life begins with small actions—start small and try something out. It's all about finding something that works for you. It's like a job, or apartment, or relationship—what works for someone else doesn't work for you so sit down and think about your true passions. Good luck!
We challenge you put together a plan for how you want to live a cause-filled life. Share your thoughts with us by tagging The Muse on Facebook and Instagram! And check out previous challenges here!
