World Humanitarian Day, which is on August 19th this year, is a day designated by the UN to recognize those who risk their lives to help others, to celebrate the giving spirit that inspires humanitarian work and to take action to "become an active messenger of Humanity." This year's World Humanitarian Day theme is "Inspiring the World's Humanity," and in this spirit of global thinking and giving, here are five apps that can help you take action on World Humanitarian Day and every day.
- SharetheMeal is an app from the United Nations' World Food Programme, the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger. The idea is simple: for just fifty cents, you can feed one hungry child for a day. SharetheMeal allows you to donate those fifty cents when you sit down to your own meal or at any time just by pushing a button. So far, over 7 million meals have been shared through the app around the globe since it launched in November 2015.
- Google's OneToday app presents you each day with a non-profit that is doing good work around the globe, explains what the organization is doing and why, and gives you the chance to donate $1 or more. It's a simple way to remember to give. You can even use the app to challenge your friends to join you in donating.
- The CharityBox app is based on the idea that if giving is made as easy as possible for donors, they'll give more, allowing charities to focus more on their mission and less on fundraising. The app allows you to connect your bank account and save credit cards, and make a donation any time you want to any charity you choose. It even allows micro-donations of as little as a penny, and sends you a receipt for tax time.
- CharityTap is an app that lets you donate rice to hungry people by tapping your screen. Each tap sends one grain of rice to be distributed by the World Food Programme. You can watch as your totals add up along with those your friends and players worldwide, and even challenge your friends to beat your number. The game-like nature of this app makes it a good way to teach young kids about the importance of helping the hungry.
- CharityMiles lets you donate to charity for every mile you run, walk or bike. Just choose from the app's list of 30 top-notch charities including Habitat for Humanity, GirlUp, and (RED), and the app will measure your distance, converting your miles into money given to your charity of choice from a pool of funds donated by CharityMiles' corporate partners. It's a great way to direct funds to the charity that means the most to you.
