5 Ways to Give Back this Holiday Season

1. Organize a food drive.

A great way to give back this holiday season is to host a food drive! You can be the collection site for your family, friends, and/or classmates or partner up with your workplace as a drop-off location. Donate the collected goods to your local food bank to help supply more resources for families during the holidays. Find local food drives or non profits collecting food in your area at: www.greatnonprofits.org.

2. Donate money.

Even $20-$50 dollars goes a long way when it comes to this holiday season. Find a way to save some extra money each week and then donate your savings to a local charity that specializes in helping families with Thanksgiving Day meals or holiday gifts for children. Check out www.greatnonprofits.org to search for a local charity in your area. The non profit I volunteer at can supply an entire Thanksgiving Day meal from a $50 donation which will feed 4-6 people. 

3. Find a toy drive.

Donate a new, unwrapped toy to a local toy drive. This could mean the world to a kid on Christmas morning. You don't have to spend more than $10 to find something great for a child in need. Check out Toys for Tots to find a location near you.

4. Make cards or care packages for people.

Get the kids involved and make holiday cards for your local hospital or assisted living residents. You can start a card or care package drive and get others involved with you as well. You could also take this one step further and find out if your local military office will be sending care packages overseas, you can send extra Halloween candy, travel games, fun snacks, holiday cards, or books. A few links to get you started: 5 things to include in care packages for assisted living residents, send a snackbox, or send a care package over seas.

5. Volunteer your time.

I can't express this enough, volunteering your time is not only free, it's invaluable for a small non-profit in your area. Google and find a local charity and send a few emails letting them know you are available if they need you. This will keep the lines of communication open so they know who to call when they need a hand. See if you can get the kids involved, too. It's a great way for families to help the community together through service this holiday season. Find a local non profit by visiting www.greatnonprofits.org or search on Google or Facebook.