Check out the thousands of Cover the Night photos that were sent in from around the world at ctn.kony2012.com.

Beach cleanup

Begin the night by serving in your own community for at least three hours, because the human connection extends around the globe, but starts across the street.

Form a team with your friends, family, neighbors, classmates and co-workers and register at Kony2012.com. You know what your community needs most, so we’re asking you to take the lead. Be the organizer.  If lots of small groups are doing different service projects in one community, the impact will be that much greater. Start thinking about what your community project will be right now–the earlier you make plans, the more impactful it will be.

These are our five favorite ideas for serving in your community. But if you think of your own, do it.

  1. Park pick-up:  Go to your nearest park, beach, or vacant lot and make it shine.
  2. Campus clean-up: Ask the schools in your community what you and your friends can do to help. From painting a wall to cleaning the bleachers – there should be more than enough work for your team.
  3. Food bank: Times are tough, and food banks and soup kitchens can always use a helping hand. Reach out to local organizations and see what you can do to help.
  4. Plant some trees, please: Earth Day is April 22nd, so get on the planet’s good side and plant some future shade-givers. Ask your neighbors and city officials where you might be able to plant a few, go to the tree store (AKA nursery) get the right ones, and start digging.
  5. Say thanks: We rarely say thank you to the people that have influenced us the most. So, have every member of your team think of a local person that fits that description, write them a thank you note, maybe bake them some cookies, and deliver it in person. They’ll never forget it.

While you’re serving, ask for permission to put up KONY 2012 signs in windows and on walls. And if you have ideas other than the ones above, email us at [email protected]….we just might feature your idea.

And don’t forget to document your work. Take photos of your team serving and put it on Twitter or Instagram with hashtags #KONY2012 #service #[yourcity]. We’ll show some digital love to “best in show” for most creative, most impressive, most collaborative, etc.

April 20th is a day, but protecting one another—across the street and across the globe—is a lifestyle.  Stay engaged with your communities, and keep turning awareness into informed action. Go to Kony2012.com to register in your area.

If you live in the United States, check out VolunteerMatch.org for ways that you can serve your local community on an ongoing basis.

1. Visit VolunteerMatch.org
2. Enter your location (and a keyword if you wish) and click ‘search’
3. Use “Sort By” to sort results by event date.

Find volunteer opportunities that are good for groups OR that can be done virtually

1. Visit http://www.volunteermatch.org/search/advanced.jsp
2. Enter your location (and a keyword if you wish)
3. Check “great for groups” or “virtual opportunities” and hit “search”