Five Ways to Give Back This Holiday Season

Here are five ways that you can give back this holiday season:

1) Food Drives

​Participating in food drives is one of the simplest but effective ways that you can give back to those in need. You can collect non-perishable items that are already in your house or at a local grocery store to donate to shelters. If you cannot find a local food drive, create one! You can advertise this event on social media encouraging those around you to donate and help out someone who needs it.

2) Soup Kitchen

​If there is a homeless shelter near you, see if they need help organizing a soup kitchen this holiday season. You can prepare and serve warm meals to people that are in the shelter. This is an amazing way to connect with the people that you are giving back to and show them your love and support.

3) Toys for Tots

Donating Christmas presents to organizations such as ​Toys for Tots​ is a great way to give back this holiday season. There are so many children that don’t get the satisfaction of opening a gift on Christmas and organizations like this make sure that they receive that experience. Even if you cannot afford to buy more gifts for this, I’m sure that you have items in your house that have not been opened. You can wrap these up and donate them to a child who really needs it.

4) Donate Old Clothing

During the holiday season especially, people who cannot afford clothes need warm sweaters, socks, hats, gloves, scarves, etc. If you have any old warm items in your closet, instead of throwing them away, I encourage you to donate them to a local shelter or thrift store. Many people do not have access to basic necessities, so if you could contribute anything, it will make a huge difference in their life

5) Sponsor a Child

There are so many opportunities to sponsor a child this holiday season all around us. You can seek out these organizations from shelters, television, your place of religious practice, etc. Once you find an organization that you resonate with, you will be given a child’s name and their interests. With these given interests, you can then buy them presents for whichever holiday they celebrate. Although the child may never know where they got the presents from, you will know that you made a huge difference in their life.

I know that this year has been traumatic for so many people, but simple acts of kindness can go a long way in the lives of those who need it. The holiday season is all about giving and in return you will receive the joy of making an impact on someone’s life. I hope these suggestions inspire you to brainstorm ways that you can give back.