10 Ways to Give Back to Your Community This Holiday Season
The holiday season is a time of hustle and bustle, and it can be hard to stop to remember the true meaning of giving and spreading cheer. This year, consider giving back to your community in a meaningful way. Whether the recipient is a local or national organization, or for those who might benefit, our generosity can be felt across many connections.
Here are some ways to give back to your community this holiday season and build some relationships along the way.
1. Combat food insecurity through a food drive.
One thing people shouldn’t have to worry about this holiday season — or any time of year — is where their next meal will come from. According to the USDA, in 2023, an estimated 47.4 million people in the U.S. lived in food-insecure households. Food drives help provide for those in need and can be started by contacting your local food bank or resources such as Feeding America, which can provide listings of places near you.
Houses of worship and community-driven organizations may also run food collections. All of these sources may list specific food products they need, so double-check before purchasing and bringing items.
Read More: SNAP Resources & Benefits by State
2. Empower adults through education by becoming a tutor.
Literacy centers offer classes such as reading, ESL and math, and they seek volunteers to tutor these students. Potential tutors may be required to commit to a set schedule of days and/or hours and undergo training sessions.
The nonprofit Literacy Chicago, for example, helps Chicagoans by providing free educational programs in subjects ranging from ESL to U.S. citizenship and digital literacy to math.
3. Create connections through a community potluck.
Imagine bringing your community together for lunch.
Since 2019, Greenville, South Carolina, has been the location of Gratefull GVL, a free, city-wide community potluck lunch along the city’s Main Street Bridge. It is designed to encourage attendees — whose inaugural event drew over 3,000 guests — to meet new people.
Gratefull GVL is held right before Thanksgiving. Upon arrival, guests are given a color-coded sticker at the welcome table and asked to find others with the same sticker and sit and chat. In addition to being made possible by sponsors and donors, Greenville’s restaurants prepare the menus for Gratefull GVL.
This community potluck initiative was started in 2014 by Causeway, which later rebranded as Gratefull, a nonprofit group in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with a mission to bring folks from all backgrounds to share a meal at a table.
4. Support your local furry friends by volunteering at an animal shelter.
Our four-legged furry friends can also need our help, and supporting animal shelters is a good way to do so. In addition to pet adoption or fostering, animal shelters provide homes for dogs and cats and seek donations of pet food and other everyday supplies, such as towels and blankets.
It’s best to contact your local animal shelter to learn what they specifically need. As for adoption, the ASPCA offers some tips via its website.
5. Provide warmth this winter by organizing a coat drive.
As temperatures drop, having a warm coat is essential. Coat drives are a good way to ensure that clean, gently used coats and outerwear reach others.
According to Beth Amodio, president and CEO of One Warm Coat, the first step when running a coat drive is to decide on the dates you want to hold it and how to publicize it to your community. The organization knows just how to help. The cloud-based nonprofit posts coat drives on its virtual map, listing their drop-off locations. It also lists resources on its website about holding a coat drive.
6. Deliver meals to seniors unable to leave their homes.
No one should be alone during the holidays, especially the elderly. Some seniors live independently but may have to remain homebound and struggle to get nutritious meals. Organizations such as Meals on Wheels America seek volunteers to help deliver meals to seniors and offer friendly greetings.
With Meals on Wheels America, volunteering involves picking up meals at a central location and delivering them along a predetermined route directly to the homes of several seniors in your area.
Many programs also leverage volunteers to prepare and pack meals and/or support social connection activities, such as friendly phone calls to meal recipients or helping out at community dining sites or senior centers. To learn more about programs in your community, visit their website.
7. Pledge to be a mindful traveler by respecting your surroundings.
Another way to pledge your support is to be mindful of your surroundings, locally or during your travels. As in some overseas destinations, such as Finland, there are U.S. locations whose officials have implemented state, city or regional tourism pledges encouraging people to travel responsibly by leaving no trace or giving back.
Aspen’s Aspen Chamber Resort Association (ACRA) will donate $18.80 for each pledge signed for the Aspen Pledge. This monetary amount reflects the year that Aspen was incorporated — 1880. Pledge signers can choose between the Independence Pass Foundation and Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers as the beneficiary organization.
Other U.S. destinations with similar pledges include The Outer Banks of North Carolina, Bend, OR, Big Sur, CA, the state of Hawaii — specifically, Kauai — and Sedona, Arizona.
8. Becoming a volunteer emergency responder.
Upon meeting specific eligibility requirements, people can train to become volunteer firefighters or emergency medical technicians (EMT). The National Volunteer Fire Council’s website provides many details on what the experience is like, and how and where to sign up. Or check with your local fire or EMS department.
9. Provide shelter and essentials to those experiencing homelessness.
Those experiencing homelessness may not have direct access to everyday essentials, such as toiletries and clothing. Along with accepting financial contributions, homeless shelters can also accept donations of clean, fitted clothing, household items and health and beauty essentials.
The National Coalition for the Homeless’ website lists commonly sought items such as creating “homeless survival kits” packed with toothbrushes and toothpaste, soaps and shampoos.
In Nashville, Room in the Inn provides shelter and support services to people experiencing homelessness through a variety of programs, including their Winter Shelters. This flagship program runs from November to March. It matches more than 100 congregations throughout Middle Tennessee with guests to provide overnight shelter, warm meals and fellowship during the coldest months of the year.
Another option is to see if “backpack programs” are available in your area. These programs provide backpacks and supplies directly to homeless populations in specific cities.
10. Save lives by becoming a blood donor.
If you’re looking for something free and easy to do this giving season, why not donate blood?
It is estimated that someone in the United States needs blood every two seconds. Blood donations are essential for saving lives, particularly for many medical procedures and emergencies.
Each donation can be separated into various components — like red blood cells, platelets and plasma — and one donation can save up to three lives. Blood has a relatively short shelf life of about 6 weeks, so blood banks need a steady stream of donors to meet this demand. There are numerous health benefits to donors, as well.
The American Red Cross regularly conducts blood drives at various locations, and its website provides information and instructions on how to do so.
Bonus: Clear a Teacher’s Wish List
Every year, our favorite influencer, things.i.bough.and.liked, has a massive Giving Tuesday initiative to clear the lists of thousands of Title 1 teachers nationwide. This grassroots effort provides teachers with classroom resources and basic hygiene, food and clothing products. Though Giving Tuesday is over, you can still clear the lists here.