It’s easy to get swept away in the joy of Christmas and forget the wonderful gift of giving to others. I don’t necessarily mean just giving gifts to your friends or family, either. I mean actually giving back to other people outside of your close-knit group. Maybe those less fortunate, or those who desperately need some of our Christmas cheer passed onto them.
1. Visit a nursing home
Unfortunately, there are quite a few elderly in nursing homes who have no family remaining, and no one to spend Christmas with aside from the employees. Calling some nursing homes and seeing if they’d be cool with you coming to spend the holiday with some residents would be a great way to spread the holiday spirit.
2. Donate toys
Toys for Tots is a very well-known program run by the United States Marine Corps that gives toys to children whose parents couldn’t afford to buy them gifts for Christmas. Toys for Tots generally has cardboard donation boxes set up in many places, including Walmart. Donating a toy knowing it will go to a sweet kid in need is such a great way to give back this season!
3. Pack stockings for the homeless
This is an idea I hadn’t heard of before, but absolutely love! You take a stocking (which you can get for a low price practically anywhere right now) and pack it full of things that would benefit those who are less fortunate than us. Some examples of things to pack are: snacks (like granola bars), water bottles, toothpaste, hand warmers, gloves, socks, and so on.
4. Take lunches to people who work over the holidays
Not everyone gets time off to spend with their family and loved ones. Something as simple as packing a small lunch and delivering it to workers constantly on the clock, such as police officers, fire fighters, hospital employees, etc. could easily make their day. Even taking some Christmas dinner leftovers to them could also be an easy pick-me-up!
5. Donate food
Giving some non-perishable food items to your local food bank is another easy way to give back. You can either get involved directly through the food bank, or see if your church is collecting anything.