Funny bone by Flickr user Jef Poskanzer (Creative Commons)

Q: How many social workers does it take to change a light bulb? A: None. They empower it to change itself!

Okay, okay. That was a bad joke. But we found two comedy troupes—who are much funnier than we are—that believe spreading good humor is the best way to do good.

First up: Their name comes from a comedy workshop scene set in a German sausage factory, in which an ace sausage stuffer declares she will save the people with her magic meat hands. Yup, you guessed it. They’re The Magic Meathands, an improv group based in Los Angeles, CA. Focusing on laughter as a way of building community, the Meathands bring their funny to 24-hour crisis centers, group homes for children, and community events that feed and serve the needs of the homeless in the Greater LA area. In addition these and other performances, such as benefits and company retreats, the group’s director shares his stage-honed conflict resolution and team-building skills at corporate seminars

From their humble beginnings in a living room in Providence, RI to regular performances around New England, In House Freestyle is another troupe that believes laughter is the best tool for social change. Blending music, poetry and comedy, the quartet’s shtick ranges from dancehall to diabetes—and sometimes hamsters. “New England’s only all-black sketch comedy group” has also produced a film that “highlights urban accomplishments and realities in a proactive, solution-oriented way.” Click here to learn more.

If you’re tickled by this topic and are in the New York City area, check out the NYLaughs Idealist Group. If you join you’ll help spread the spirit of independent comedy by making it free and available on the streets of NYC.

[This blog entry appeared on an older version of Idealist; any broken links are a result of having re-launched our site in Fall 2010.]