‘Tis the season to get, gift and, most importantly give! While by “giving” we think giving gifts to those we love and are close to, there are many important ways we could (and should) be giving. “Giving back” to the community is an important aspect many of us forget about year-round, and what better time to remember than the season of giving? Giving back can be a variety of different things- from gift giving, to giving time and effort or even sponsorship, it’s important to remember others during this time of year (and quite honestly all the time). Here are a couple ways you can do that!

1. Caroling!

Most local hospitals, nursing homes and ladies’ homes put on events for their residents to be able to enjoy the holidays. They generally encourage and accept carolers who wants to roam the halls singing Christmas carols loud and proud to spread Christmas cheer! Residents appreciate it and often join in the fun- especially when there’s “more:” crafts, eating and other activities that can be set. It’s easy, free and universally accepted, and always spreads good feelings!

2. Toys for Tots

Toys for Tots always accepts donations- and even more widely so during the holidays. Toys for Tots events are sponsored/put on by the USMC, encouraging folks to donate to the charity so as to make a less fortunate child’s Christmas a little more fortunate. It’s rather easy to donate- find your local program and program drop off simply by looking it up on the Toys for Tots website, or even donate money online to go to the organization to purchase goods themselves. Toys for Tots is a year-round charity, but many local programs host events closest to the holiday.

3. Treat Emergency Responders

Yearly, my family always does “something nice” for someone else every Christmas Eve or Christmas morning. It’s grown to be one of my favorite traditions, and personally, my favorite people to “treat” are those stuck working on the holiday. Firemen, Police, EMTs, and hospital employees are at their jobs the entire day so as to ensure your safety as you open gifts and celebrate good times with your loved ones, while their loved ones wait at home for them. Out of respect and appreciation, bringing them baskets of goodies- chocolates, snacks, gift cards, and thank-yous usually sit in ours- is a nice way to let them know their sacrifices don’t go unnoticed.

4. Donate to Bell Ringers

Every community has them- bell ringers standing outside local (or corporate) shops, hoping for measly donations. Generally for the Salvation Army’s causes, a multitude of organizations and individuals sign up to volunteer as bell-ringers, standing in cold weather to gather donations for the holidays. It’s not hard- nor undoable- to donate even a dollar as they stand out in the snow ringing bells dressed as Christmas characters.

5. Shop Small, Shop Local

Small Business Saturday is a day in which communities bring attention to local individually owned businesses, hoping to bring in customers holiday shopping after Black Friday. There are so many small business one can shop at: from antique stores and book-stores to entrepreneurship and self-made services (i.e. photography studios, woven clothing articles, etc). It’s always tougher for a small business to thrive around corporations like Walmart and Target, and shopping mall around the holidays is a great way to help them thrive- and an even greater way for you to purchase original, quality goods.

6. Operation Xmas Child

Operation Xmas Child is an organization in which children who are less fortunate- either in broken homes, impoverished homes or even foster homes receive Christmas gifts they otherwise may not receive. Put on by Samaritan’s Purse, you can either donate money online, put towards gifts for children, or fill a small box with numerous goods- some needs, some toys- and drop it off at one of many drop-off locations. Drop-offs depend on what local programs are involved with Samaritan’s Purse, and can be found online. Goods donated usually include: school supplies (pencils, paper, notebooks, pens), clothes (shirts, pants, gloves, hats), small snacks, products for good hygiene (toothbrushes, toothpaste, brushes, hair bands, deodorant), toys, small books and more.

7. Clothing Donations

While most of us are fortunate enough to have hats, gloves, scarves and coats to be properly equipped for winter weather. Some, however, are not. Clothing drives are a very popular donation throughout communities during the winter months- even after Christmas. A variety of places tend to do this; schools, churches, community centers. You can always look up online if you’re not sure, and can often find ads in the newspapers as well. Donating new and lightly used warm products is a great, useful way to give back.

8. World Vision

A year-round way to give back and help others is by donating to an online organization called “World Vision.” World vision accepts cash donations, transacted by “snail mail” or through online “shopping.” World Vision supports causes and missions around the world focused on bettering the world and the people inhabiting it. Donations and causes change regularly; as once a goal has been reached or exceeded, new ones emerge to be funded. You can find yourself donating to a single mom’s attempt to feed her children in New Guinea, or a mission group’s goal to build a development of houses for residents of impoverished towns. If you want to really make a difference, you can even donate and become a sponsor of specific children, receiving updates regularly on their life as they grow and you donate to their growth. Your donation in this sense goes towards school costs and living costs: clean water, medical, food and clothing. However you choose to make a difference, any donation to any cause will do just that, helping someone or something to get better and closer to a goal to better the world.

9. Operation Shoebox

Operation Shoebox is similar to Operation Xmas Child in that you fill a shoebox with goods and send them out. However, with Operation Shoebox, your Christmas box will be going to an active-duty military man, or a veteran. The goal is essentially to remind them that we appreciate their duty and recognize that they are fighting or have fought for our very ability to celebrate the holidays we do freely, hopefully brightening theirs as they remember their time in service or are actively in duties and away from their loved ones. These shoeboxes tend to hold snacks, small trinkets, and letters of appreciation (at least mine have- they can vary, of course). Similarly to Operation Xmas Child, Operation Shoebox is generally put on and sponsored by a number of organizations within communities, and drop-off locations and dates can be found online. Donations of cash online go towards shoeboxes as well.

10. Tree Ornaments

Throughout the holiday season, Christmas trees are set up displaying gorgeous festive lights and ornaments, emanating the Christmas Spirit. Most of these trees hold more than just an aesthetic appeal, as they also contain hand-written ornaments with gift ideas for the less-fortunate. On said ornaments contains generally a recipient's name (not always), clothing/shoe sizes, gender and “one wish for Christmas.” This is a way to get a child (generally aged 0-18) a gift and/or necessity of theirs to brighten their Christmas morning with a gift they may have otherwise not have opened. Most locations have drop-off dates (also on the ornaments) and will distribute the gifts as so.

11. Volunteering

Another way to give back year-round is by volunteering. There are infinite ways you can volunteer to give back: collecting cans, standing in at local sports concessions, cleaning parks, etc). Around the holidays, there are even more ways to do so, believe it or not. Almost all above examples require volunteer service in order to operate properly. The tree ornaments, shoebox and Christmas child organizations always need drivers and deliverers to bring the gifts to their official locations to be correctly distributed to recipients. The Salvation Army always takes volunteers to bell-ring in various locations. Hospitals, nursing homes and ladies’ homes are quick to take volunteers to not only carol but spend time with their residents in different ways, as well.

This holiday season while you’re gifting, giving and getting goods from your friends and family members, don’t forget what’s more important: the most meaningful giving- giving back. Make someone’s Christmas more enjoyable, brighten a day and volunteer to help out the community or organizations in the community. Shop at a local small business, ring a bell for donations. Do anything and everything you can to make sure those around you feel love and joy in their hearts, despite your relation to them- existing or not.