4 Ways To Give Back During The Holidays

“Giving back during the holidays is the perfect opportunity to help make someone’s day just a little bit brighter, whether they need it or not.”

Regardless of a person’s religious beliefs surrounding the holiday, Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for what you have and to give thanks to family, friends and the community. It’s a time to give thanks but also a time to give to others. It’s a time to say ‘thank you’ to those who have helped you along the way, to those who protect your community, to the neighbors who are neighborly and to the strangers who unknowingly help others every day.

The holidays are often a stressful time for individuals who aren’t able to be with family, for families who can’t afford a Thanksgiving dinner and for community members who are even less fortunate. Giving back during the holidays is the perfect opportunity to help make someone’s day just a little bit brighter, whether they need it or not. There are endless opportunities to give back this holiday season and they don’t have to be extravagant – the simplest of gestures often have the biggest impact.

Volunteer at a Shelter

Homeless shelters and shelters for victims of domestic violence serve an important need in any community and that need is often more than they can handle with limited staff and resources. The holidays put extra stress on already scarce resources as more people find themselves in need of help. Shelters quickly become overwhelmed trying to meet the needs of the population they serve and most welcome additional volunteers.

Shelters offer many volunteer opportunities including outreach, education and providing basic needs. They rely on volunteers to keep things running, especially during the holidays. You can volunteer to help serve in the soup kitchen, help prepare Thanksgiving dinner or help with outreach services. Most shelters also accept donations of food, clothing and basic necessities. If your community does not have a homeless shelter or domestic violence shelter, animal shelters and rescues are also in need of volunteers around the holidays.

Donate to a Food Bank

Food banks provide a necessary need for the community. During the holidays, they often see an increased need but without an increase in resources. Families who would otherwise be without a Thanksgiving dinner are able to get help with canned and boxed foods. Unfortunately, many food banks find it difficult to keep the shelves stocked and have to turn people away.

You can give back by donating to the food banks. If you see a great deal on cranberry sauce or stuffing, stock up and donate it to the food bank. Ask your neighbors to help pitch in. Get kids involved in a community service project – have them help coordinate a neighborhood canned food drive for the local food bank. Food banks also offer several volunteer opportunities.

Invite the Neighbors

Holidays are a stressful time, especially for those who are away from family or are unable to provide a full Thanksgiving dinner. Friends, neighbors and coworkers – even those you aren’t close with – have likely helped you in some way, whether it be lending a listening ear, returning misdelivered mail or covering for you while you were out sick. Invite them over for Thanksgiving dinner as a way to give back for all the little things. If you’re worried about not having enough food, have everyone bring their favorite side dish to share

Random Acts of Giving

Random acts of giving are the perfect way to give back anonymously or to strangers who most likely have helped someone else out in the past. The possibilities are endless – buy coffee for the person in line behind you, pay for someone’s order in the drive thru, make sandwiches and hand them out to the homeless, show up on a neighbor’s door with a turkey and a bag of stuffing for Thanksgiving dinner.

Giving back to friends, family, neighbors, coworkers and the community is a simple way to say ‘thank you for being here.’