If you are thinking about doing something to help those in need, the holidays are the perfect time to open your heart and wallet to give back. For advice and tips on how you can give back, see our page on How to Help The Less Fortunate During the Holidays.Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, the holidays can be a time to reflect on all of the things that you have to be thankful for (Friends, Family, Food, Work, etc). But it can also be a great opportunity to turn your attention to individuals and families who may, for one reason or another, not be as fortunate as you. Here are some tips on giving back this holiday season.
Step 1: Find A Local Charity - The first step to volunteering is to find a charity that needs help during the holiday season. Since you're probably going to be volunteering in your free time, it's usually a good idea to find one relatively close to your home. Here are some tips for finding a local charity: Start by doing an online search. Check out volunteer search services such as Network for Good, Volunteer Match and 1-800-Volunteer to help locate and identify charities in your area. Simply type in your state and zip code. Contact your local religious institution to find out if they have any volunteer opportunities available for the holiday season. Make a list of 4 or 5 charities in your area that you might want to volunteer for.
Step 2: Contact Those Charities - Start by calling each of the charities or organizations on your list. Ask to speak to whoever coordinates their charitable programs. Find out if they actually need volunteers. Some organizations may have all of the volunteers that they need or can handle, so it's always good to find out beforehand. If they do need help, inquire about how you can go about signing up to volunteer.
Step 3: Decide How You Want To Help
While most people picture volunteering as helping serve a large buffet dinner, soup kitchens and food banks usually need help in a number of areas. Here are some other areas you might want to think about helping out with: Pick up food or clothing donations and/or do an inventory of the items. If you have cooking skills, offer to help cook the meal. Help set up for and clean up after the meal. Put up promotional flyers for the event. Donate Food If you don't have enough free time to volunteer, another great way to help out is to donate food to a local charity or food bank. Food donations are welcome any time of year, but are especially helpful during the holiday season. Here are a few tips for donating food.
Things to Keep In Mind - Call your local charity or food bank and inquire about exactly what types of food they need. Each organization is different and may have different needs. Most food banks prefer non-perishable canned food items, such as canned vegetables, soups, sauces, etc. Organizations that serve free meals may appreciate perishable food items as well. If you're feeling really ambitious, you can hold a food drive and invite others to help you collect food. Donate food to your local food bank Take any food that you have collected directly to your local food bank. Make sure that you check the expiration dates on any food items you will be donating. Bad food is worse than no food at all. Adopted from www.mahalo.com
Step 1: Find A Local Charity - The first step to volunteering is to find a charity that needs help during the holiday season. Since you're probably going to be volunteering in your free time, it's usually a good idea to find one relatively close to your home. Here are some tips for finding a local charity: Start by doing an online search. Check out volunteer search services such as Network for Good, Volunteer Match and 1-800-Volunteer to help locate and identify charities in your area. Simply type in your state and zip code. Contact your local religious institution to find out if they have any volunteer opportunities available for the holiday season. Make a list of 4 or 5 charities in your area that you might want to volunteer for.
Step 2: Contact Those Charities - Start by calling each of the charities or organizations on your list. Ask to speak to whoever coordinates their charitable programs. Find out if they actually need volunteers. Some organizations may have all of the volunteers that they need or can handle, so it's always good to find out beforehand. If they do need help, inquire about how you can go about signing up to volunteer.
Step 3: Decide How You Want To Help
While most people picture volunteering as helping serve a large buffet dinner, soup kitchens and food banks usually need help in a number of areas. Here are some other areas you might want to think about helping out with: Pick up food or clothing donations and/or do an inventory of the items. If you have cooking skills, offer to help cook the meal. Help set up for and clean up after the meal. Put up promotional flyers for the event. Donate Food If you don't have enough free time to volunteer, another great way to help out is to donate food to a local charity or food bank. Food donations are welcome any time of year, but are especially helpful during the holiday season. Here are a few tips for donating food.
Things to Keep In Mind - Call your local charity or food bank and inquire about exactly what types of food they need. Each organization is different and may have different needs. Most food banks prefer non-perishable canned food items, such as canned vegetables, soups, sauces, etc. Organizations that serve free meals may appreciate perishable food items as well. If you're feeling really ambitious, you can hold a food drive and invite others to help you collect food. Donate food to your local food bank Take any food that you have collected directly to your local food bank. Make sure that you check the expiration dates on any food items you will be donating. Bad food is worse than no food at all. Adopted from www.mahalo.com
