5 ways to give back this Holiday Season

5 ways to give back this Holiday Season

Although many of us get caught up in the glitter of the Holiday Season, which is fun, at some point we pause and recognize that the Holidays are ultimately a time to be thankful, reflect on our beliefs, and celebrate family, friends, and community.

When we do that, we often think about those in need.

People who we may know or people in the community.

People who are sick.

People who are poorPeople who are homeless.

People who are abused, lonely, or afflicted in one way or another.

And, naturally, we want to help, so we try to think about ways to get involved, support a cause, etc., but we might not know exactly what to do.

And then, the Holiday Season takes over, we rush off to do the next thing, and we may or may not follow through on our genuine desire to give back during the Holidays (or anytime throughout the year for that matter).

This year, when you stop to think about how you might help or get involved, keep these 5 ways to give back this Holiday Season in mind and be prepared to deliver on your call to help.

1. Give your time – Admittedly, donating time is often one of the most difficult ways to give back to the community because daily life is so busy and full of priorities, especially during the Holiday Season, but take a look at your calendar now, mark down some dates/times you appear to be free, and contact your church, community center, local food bank or homeless shelter, etc. to see if they could use your help and mark it on your calendar so you have a commitment.
2. Donate gently used clothing – Sometimes charitable organizations end up with too much “stuff”, but clothing is something that’s in demand throughout the world, especially in third-world countries where people are happy to just have a shirt on their back (literally), so go through your drawers and closets now, set aside anything that you’d like to donate, and deliver it to one of the collection containers you see around town, the Salvation Army, Goodwill, or some other organization that will ensure the clothes make it to those in need.
3. Donate saved change/coins – We all know how quickly change adds up when we put coins in the car ashtray/compartment, drop money into a piggy bank or jar sitting on the counter, or even save change electronically via our bank account/debit card, so earmark that change now and plan to donate it instead of rolling it up and lugging it to the bank; drop all your change into a Salvation Army bucket when you pass a volunteer ringing the bell at a mall and you’ll make his/her day!
4. Visit the local senior center – Growing old is something we all have in common, growing old and lonely is something many of us worry about, and the challenges of growing old are something most people experience with their own family members, so take the time this Holiday Season to brighten the day of an elderly person at a senior center, or someone in your neighborhood who lives alone, and listen to all the experience, knowledge, and wisdom he/she has to share, but don’t be surprised when you leave thinking that you’re the one who benefited most from the visit.
5. Host or donate to a food drive – It is staggering how much hunger there is not only in the world, but also in the U.S., which is why food banks exist in most communities and there is likely one nearby that could use whatever foods you have in your cabinet or you’re willing to buy, so take the time now to inventory or buy whatever you can donate this Holiday Season and bring it to the food bank, but if you’re willing to host a food drive at your work or business, at your child’s school, at your church, or as part of an event you already have planned, you could enable many others to give back too and see what an amazing impact a caring community can have.

Give back in any of these five ways this Holiday Season, or anytime throughout the year, and answer your call to help others in your community.

Beyond Self Storage wishes you and your family a Happy Holiday Season!