Christmas and the month of holiday cheer leading up to it is an exciting time. We often get caught up in decorating our houses, visiting family, and finding the perfect presents for our loved ones. Sometimes we forget that not everyone is as fortunate as many of us and not all Christmas’s are created equal. These are just a few ways you can help others others year round but especially during this holiday season.
Write a Letter to our heroes
With Operation Gratitude you can write a letter of thanks to a deployed troop, veteran, new recruit, or first responder. These letters are delivered with care packages that you can also donate to (and sometimes the recipients will even write you back). Many of the recipients say the letters are their favorite part of getting care packages!
Give a gift to a child in need
There are countless organizations that enable you to send gifts to children in need. One in particular is One Simple Wish. The holidays can be difficult for kids away from their biological parents, so One Simple Wish allows you to grant the wishes of children in foster care. I really liked this specific organization because it is too often that foster children feel like they are forgotten in the system.
Donate to a homeless shelter
Homeless shelters are always in need of supplies, but even more so during the holiday season. You can clean out your closet, kids can go through their toys, or you could even take a quick trip to Walmart for some basics. Clothes, blankets, toys, shoes, canned goods, essentials like toothbrushes, socks, and underwear, and even homemade cookies are great things to bring to a local homeless shelter to add some festive cheer.
Buy a gift that can benefit others
You can buy a loved one a cute beanie this Christmas and 50% of the money from your purchase goes to pediatric cancer research with Love Your Melon. If you don’t have the money to purchase merchandise from their website, you can also write a letter to a “superhero” to cheer them up while they are in the hospital. I’m personally involved with the Love Your Melon crew on my campus and joining your crew is also a way to help raise spirits, raise money, and raise awareness.
Christmas is an exciting and magical time of the year, but we can all do a little more to help spread the magic to those who are less fortunate. Merry Christmas and happy giving!