The holiday season is a time to remember our blessings and to share them with others! Giving back to the community is a great way to spread the holiday cheer.

1. Donate to local gift drives.

There are many gift drives for the less fortunate kids in our community. Gifts that you chose specifically for the drive, or even gifts you received but don’t want can make someone’s day immensely brighter. The Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles has a gift drive annually, A few other well known drives are Toys for Tots, run by the U.S. Marine Corp., and Sleep Train’s Foster Kids Toy Drive.

2. Volunteer at a shelter or soup kitchen.

There’s a lot of people who would not have a quality meal during the holidays if it wasn’t for local soup kitchens. One way to spend a day off is to serve the hungry and make a few friends as well!

3. Bake for people who work over the holidays.

The police, firefighters, even the mailman work over the holiday season to ensure our safety (and the delivery of our various gifts). Take some time to drop by the fire station spread some holiday cheer—caroling, cards, or even just a kind word are encouraged too!

4. Give toiletries and socks to homeless people.

We often take these necessities for granted, but the many LA homeless don’t have these basic items. Socks and toiletries can be more useful than gifts, and are need so much more.

5. Donate to a food bank.

Sometimes it can be hard to find people to give food to, or know that what you give is being distributed effectively. A food bank is a good way to give back and know that everything is going towards helping those in need.

6. Visit and carol at a nursing home.

Spread the good cheer to the elderly in our community by stopping by a nursing home and singing a few tunes!

7. Stop by the animal shelter.

Though animals may be unaware of the holidays, this time of year is a very popular time for adoptions. You might save a dog’s life by adopting, or by getting a friend to come along and persuading them to adopt too! If you can’t adopt, you can always bring toys and treats to give to the shelter for the animals.