My mother was a big believer in abundance, which for her had more to do with her state of mind than it did with money. In practical terms, this meant offering everyone, from her friends to the UPS man, a plate of whatever she was cooking when they dropped by. In the 1990s, I took her teaching to heart and began tithing 10 percent of my income to charity, a practice I continue to this day. I also began volunteering with my daughters, and it has benefited us in countless ways–not least, we get to spend time together while we’re doing good: multitasking at its best.

List ways you benefit from your community, and vice versa. What are some of the nonprofit organizations in your community that appeal to you as a volunteer? And why?

–Arianna Huffington