In honor of Giving Tuesday I thought I would share a few ways to give back this holiday season. It is very easy to get caught up in shopping nonstop for presents or outfits for holiday parties but I think we could probably all afford to give back in some way. Some of these require you to spend money but some just require donating your time. I would love to know of any ways you give back during the holidays (or year round!) and I can add them to the list!
8 Ways to Give Back this Holiday Season
1. Volunteer at a Shelter
Serve food, take blankets to a homeless shelter… there are a lot of ways to volunteer at a shelter. Me and a few coworkers recently volunteered at Dallas Life and served dinner. It’s just a few hours of your time but makes such a big impact in your community!
2. Salvation Army Angel Tree
Pick an angel off the angel tree the next time you find yourself at the mall to help the thousands of children in need. Some ask for things as simple as socks and warm clothes and the angels range in age. The Salvation Army Angel Tree program has been a tradition in the DFW metroplex since 1984 and will serve more than 45,000 children this year!
3. Adopt a Pet
If you’ve been thinking about getting a pet please consider adopting one of the thousands of pets in need of a home from a local shelter. Sometimes I think people think there is a stigma with adopting animals like something may be wrong with them. We rescued our sweet Leo from Dallas Animal Services when he was just a little malnourished puppy and he has now changed our lives forever! There were SO many puppies in need of a family when we got Leo so please consider checking out your local animal shelters if you’re in the market for a new puppy! I promise they’ll love you more than you could ever imagine!
4. Random Act of Kindness
It can be as simple as common courtesy like holding the door open for someone or spend a few dollars to buy a cup of coffee for the person in line behind you at Starbucks. Leave a bigger tip on your next meal out. Random acts of kindness are contagious so let’s help spread the positivity!
5. Donate Money to charity
There are so many amazing charities out there. I would encourage you to donate to one that is dear to your heart. No donation is too small. Here are just a few (feel free to leave a comment with other charities and I can add them to the list!)…
Toys for Tots
One Warm Coat
Operation Give
St. Jude’s
NAMI
6. Donate Clothes, Blankets, Food
Check in with your local homeless shelter, animal shelter, food bank, etc. to see what you can donate. So many places welcome clothes, furniture, blankets and food!
7. Bake treats for local service men and women
If you love to bake and want to put a smile on a few faces, take some fresh baked goods to your local firemen, police men, EMT’s, etc.
8. Just be kind
Smile. Let someone go ahead of you in line. Try not cutting anyone off for that parking spot at the jam-packed mall… this time of year can get so hectic and stressful. Do your best to not contribute to the chaos and instead remind people of the good in the world and just be kind.
How do you give back this time of year? Feel free to leave me a comment below with other ways to give back and share this post if you feel inspired to spread some kindness and positivity this holiday season!
Thank you for reading!
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Photos by: Angie Garcia
My mom and I each sponsored a child at church who otherwise wouldn’t have a Christmas! Just a small way to give to those who don’t have what we do!
Oh my gosh that is amazing!! Love that so much. Something so small to some of us can mean the world to someone else!