My mother has instilled in me, over the years, a countless number of lessons. The most important of which, I think, is that no matter where you are in life, or what you're doing, you should always find time to help out others. From the time I was little, all the way through now, I've always had some kind of project going that I used to help others. Sometimes it's simply making sure to be conscious of how I treat those around me, being generous with my time and money, sometimes it's a bigger project or a charity that I want to help. I've taken that lesson, which my mother taught me when I was ten years old, and I've changed it just a little bit: I know it's important to always help others, but more than that I think it's important to make sure that the things you do, your hobbies and your job, help to function as means to that end. As a gamer, I know that it's pretty easy to just get sucked into all of the many worlds I feel like I'm a part of, and to lose track of the one I live in, so I wanted to write this brief article offering some ways in which my fellow gamers can use their hobby to make a difference, things I do myself to keep me grounded in the values I keep.

The first, and easiest thing you can do, is to look into Humble Bundle. I'm sure you've heard of it, but just in case you haven't I'll explain. Humble Bundle is a website which works with gaming companies and charities to create weekly bundles of games, which they then sell in a "name your price" model, for charity. You can pay anything you like to buy into the bundle, although it's most often locked in three tiers: The first is any amount, and gets you some games, to get the second tier of the bundle you need to pay more than the community average, and to get the third tier you need to pay just a little more. Once you've named your price, they then let you decide exactly how much of your money goes to Humble Bundle, the Gaming Company, and their Sponsored Charity. You can give it all to the charity, or split it evenly, or divide it however you think is fair. Humble Bundle also runs a store, similar to Steam, where you can buy virtual codes for the games you want, but here's the difference between Humble Store and Steam: With the Humble Store you get the same option to give to charity: You pick the charity and how you want to divvy it up.

The second option is a charity called Extra Life. Extra Life runs year-round, and culminates in one big game day. Essentially, the goal is to choose a nearby Children Miracle Network Hospital (CMNH). These are hospitals that provide care to children whose parents can't afford it. They really do perform miracles, and you can help. You choose your hospital, and then you collect donations on their behalf. You can do this virtually, or in person, or a mixture of both. The day that the gameday comes around, all of the money you collected is gathered and sent to the hospital you designated, and then you and everyone else who participated in Extra Life celebrates by all, simultaneously, participating in a 24 hour gaming marathon. It's a really fun time, and you can do a lot to help out.

So give it some thought, see how you can help. There's no greater feeling the world than getting a copy of the game you've been dying to play while simultaneously handing money off to those who need it more, or spending 24 hours playing that game with the warm and cozy thought that you just helped fund a Children's Miracle Network Hospital.