“Joy exists in the Little things.”

How to give back during the Holidays.

You don’t have to be a millionaire or philanthropist to give back to society, help the less fortunate or being part of something bigger and greater than you are. Don’t get me wrong, I am all about giving back, it is supposed to be an everyday thing and not just the Holidays. However, If you don’t have a tradition for it, This holiday seems like a good time as any to start it.

Are you overwhelmed by the idea or don’t know where to start? Look no further as I have compiled 10 ways on How to give back during the Holiday. Holidays are clearly the best time of the year, all the special merriment, cheer and laughter going around, How about being a reason someone smiles a little wider and make their holiday a little brighter? Sounds like fun right? I thought so too, as the idea is where I tend to have drawn the inspiration for today’s post. Here is hoping that I hope you find a way that resonates with you and share the joy of Christmas with someone else.

How to give back during the Holidays

Serve a Holiday Meal

What a better way on How to Give Back during the Holidays than sharing bread with your neighbor, community or the less fortunate. This has been a huge family tradition in my life, especially around Christmas. Usually, after we get back from the Church – Christmas Mass. My family always organize a Christmas lunch for all the people in the village and it such a joy to share a meal with people and see their smiling faces. You don’t have to feed the whole village, on the contrary, just start small and work your way up from there.

Remember it’s about giving back not going broke in the process

Charity Drive

Giving back in terms of items is also a route you could take when it comes to ways on How to Give Back during the Holidays. Charity drives come in many forms and can be done as a solo act or include more than one person. If you are able to include more people even better, – The more the merrier, this could be a neighborhood charity drive or done with your office colleagues. The choices are endless. Each member can bring items based on the theme of the drive or just bring out miscellaneous good, both are acceptable. This is then sent to a charity group of choice, could be kids wing in the hospital, or the elders in the homes.

Charity drives can even include sharing food, where members of the drive bake and send the collectives to a charity organization

Volunteer

The best gifts often aren’t material ones. Small acts of kindness that show you’re thinking of someone can mean more—and cost less—than a physical item. Write a thank-you note to a local volunteer. Even the smallest acts of good can go a long way and bring a smile to someone’s face. Find a local volunteering center in your neighborhood, from the church to the elderly homes, hospitals to orphanages and offer your day helping out. Offer something that plays into your strength and be someone’s sunshine this holiday season.

Fundraise for a course

Fundraising is not a solo act. Do you have a course that is dear to your heart? Something that may be or have affected a loved one in your life? Think Cancer, Calamities, HIV, drug addiction. Then work from there. Choosing a fundraising idea for your nonprofit or charity is sometimes difficult. There are a lot of things to consider, from donor reception to your budget and estimated time commitment. Sometimes, you need to run a quick and easy project to fund an immediate need. Other times, you must organize a creative fundraiser to bring in a lot of money over a longer period (an annual giving campaign, for example). Depending on the options above, below are examples of Fundraising ideas to help you give back this holiday

• Community Yard sale
• Host a Marathon
• Boardgame tournament
• Cook-Off
• Host a Dinner
• Crowdfunding

Blood bank Donation

A blood donation occurs when a person voluntarily has blood drawn. Donation may be of whole blood, or of specific components directly. Blood banks often participate in the collection process as well as the procedures that follow it. Today in the developed world, most blood donors are unpaid volunteers who donate blood for a community supply. Many donors donate as an act of charity, while for some they are paid. We won’t get into that as we are sharing ways on How to give back during the Holidays. To find a local blood bank and donate blood, and help someone in their time of need.

Care for the Environment

Go the extra mile and take care of mother nature. With holiday spending, make sure you take care of the environment. Avoid using plastic bags, remember to recycle, support organizations that operate green and whenever you can go the extra mile and take part in the environment clean. Be the reason, one empty plastic bottle is not purely dumped this holiday season.

Tip More

There will be a lot of family lunch and dinner outings. So this time around when you go out for a meal, remember to tip the waiters a little bit more than usual. These little acts of kindness will go a long way. If you can’t tip remember to be more patient and kind to the stuff, besides no one likes a rude customer.

Visit the Orphanage or Shelters

With everything that is happening, more and more children are left homeless or orphans with no real family. This is the ugly side of reality, if you are alive and healthy with food on your table and roof over your head, then take time out of your busy schedule and visit the less fortunate. Spend time with them and if you can volunteer or bring them something, even better, give back this holiday.

Charitable Donation

I would like to solely base this on the monetary value of things. However, it can be both Material and money altogether. If you are willing to give back during the holiday season but are short on time? No problem, with the advancement of time and technology all you can do, is find the organization of choice where you want to do the donation and do an online transfer. This can be both known or anonymously, depending on how you choose to give back this holiday.

Animal Shelter

Another way on How to give back this Holiday. Visit the animal shelter, you could opt to donate anything, spend time with the animal and if you are feeling more festive, how about adopting one of the little ones and take them home, or better yer seems like a great Christmas gift.