A wheelchair can literally give someone with a disability life through mobility. If you happen to have a wheelchair that you no longer need, there is a nonprofit called The Wheelchair Project that can help. Its job is simple: Match people in need to wheelchairs. No money exchanges hands other than the recipient making arrangements to get his or her new chair. Learn more at lifenets.org/wheelchair.

One way to help in your community is to donate food to your local food bank. The most-wanted items include complete meals in cans (like soup and chili), canned tuna, peanut butter and healthy snacks like granola bars and dried fruit. But items like large bags of rice, flour and sugar are not wanted: Most food banks do not have the ability to repackage them for distribution. Also, if you donate glass, be sure to wrap it in boxes or bubble wrap to prevent damage in a donation bin.

If you use a dehumidifier at home, you might wonder what you can do with the tank of water it collects. First, don't use it to water plants: when humid air runs through the metal elements in a dehumidifier, it can leave trace metals. You should also never consume the water, so don't give it to your family pets. Instead, fill a toilet tank with the water, and use it to flush toilets.