As we get closer to Christmas, we start getting wrapped up in what we want, but people begin to forget that Christmas is the season of giving. Many families in every community can’t afford to give gifts to those they love. Could you imagine not being able to receive gifts on Christmas morning? Well, that is a sad reality for some families. There are many opportunities for people to help families who are less fortunate during the holiday season.
A way to give back is by participating in a toy drive. One of the most well-known toy drives during Christmas is Toys for Tots. Toys for Tots is a charity organization run by the United States Marine Corps. In most counties, there are bins where you can put unopened, not wrapped gifts. Gifts are supposed to be around $10, but it depends on how much you want to donate. They also have a website, toysfortots.org, where you can donate money if that is more convenient. Through Toys for Tots, 301 million kids have received a Christmas they won’t forget, and being part of that would be so rewarding.
Another way to give back is to send Christmas cards to soldiers. This is a fun way to get your friends and family involved. A program run out of New Hampshire allows you to send cards, and they will distribute them to soldiers overseas. This program is called The Military Holiday Card Challenge. Classes can do this as a fun Christmas activity, or you can do it with friends or family as a nice Thanksgiving tradition. When Soldiers receive these cards, they start to get into the holiday spirit, which helps boost morale. It’s a way to give not only to your community but to people from all over the country. Through this program, 1,150,000 soldiers have received cards, but there are still many more soldiers waiting for a little morale boost.
You can also donate food to food drives or food pantries. During the holiday season, food brings families together, but some families can’t afford to have big Christmas or Thanksgiving feasts. A big organization is Feeding America. They provide meals to families all year round but try to increase the number of families they help during the holiday seasons. By donating to drives and food pantries, you are helping bring families together. Most of the time, food pantries are linked to homeless shelters. The people in these shelters use the donated food as well as other donations like clothing, toys, and toiletries. You can contact these shelters and see what they need during the holiday season and provide accordingly.
These are only a few ways to give back to your community. If you are interested in helping those in need have a magical holiday, please participate in a charity or drive near you. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of many. So, as we get wrapped up in our wants, we can’t forget to remember the needs of those around us.
