Wednesday, December 24, 2014

8 ways to give back during the holidays

In the spirit of the holidays, here are eight fun and easy ways you can give back to your community. We wish you a very happy holidays and a bright and prosperous new year. See you soon!
volunteering

Bake a batch of cookies for your local fire department. In addition to being really brave and selfless and hard-working, it's a fact that all firefighters love baked goods.

Buy a whole bunch of socks and donate them to your local homeless shelter. They're one of the most requested, least donated items.

Buy a package of baby wipes. Leave it on the changing table in a public restroom. Some busy mom who is fresh out of wipes will absolutely love you for it.

pinterest baby wipes (Image source)

Send a care package to a deployed soldier. Here's what deployed troops really want in their care packages, and here's a list of organizations that can help you do it.

Go Christmas caroling at a nursing home. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, more than 50 percent of nursing home residents have no close relatives. You could really brighten a lonely person's day by providing even just 30 minutes of entertainment and company.

Volunteer at a children's hospital. Seriously, it'll change your life. Many children's hospitals have an established volunteer program, no experience necessary!

volunteer14

Adopt a family. Contact your local or regional United Way about a "Christmas Bureau" or community-based, low-income holiday assistance program. (Most of these programs have a deadline of December 17, so put it on your calendar for next year!)

Cook! Take a few hours on a Saturday or Sunday to go cook and serve food at a homeless shelter or food pantry. These organizations always need hard-working volunteers!

Give the gift of reading.  This organization enables children who may not have access to a public library to discover the world of books.


 gift of reading

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