It is common knowledge today that we live in a society that is driven by consumption. Most of us want more and more and more of the latest and greatest of everything: clothes, food, cars, technology, wealth, and other material goods.

It is also common knowledge today that the society we live in has huge gaps between those who have and those who have not. A small minority of our society has the money to buy and consume as much as they want while the clear majority copes with having very little to cover the necessities of life including food, clothing, and shelter.

The holiday season is an annual period where these discrepancies are at their widest and most visible. There are the kids who are giddy with the thoughts of receiving the gifts they have been eyeing since the summer months.

Then there are the parents. Some parents are concerned about how they are going to hide the sumptuous gifts they have carefully bought and wrapped and then there are the parents who are trying to puzzle out how to make special, quality holiday memories with limited means.

The one truly magical aspect of the holiday season though is that it provides communities the opportunity to help each other give back and show that they care in a variety of means. Some families may choose to spend their holiday cooking a meal for others, it may be another family’s tradition to support a food or coat drive. There are plenty of ways that those who are able to can give back and make another family’s holiday one that they will never forget.

My favorite way to give back during the holiday season is a tradition my high school had which was working with community organizations to identify families who would benefit from a few extra “elves” to help make their holiday season special. We call this tradition “Christmas Baskets.”

Each homeroom would be given a family and each family member would be asked what was on their wish list for the year and would be carefully shopped for. Usually, when we initially called families, they would be humble about their requests and parents would focus their attention on the wants of their children and less so about themselves. But we wanted to make sure families knew that this opportunity was to benefit every member of their family.

One of the best parts of this tradition was that for the most part, a few representatives from each homeroom got to go and hand deliver the presents to the families they had been shopping for. It was the most amazing experience to see the family’s reaction when we unloaded all the brightly colored packages into their home and watch as the parents’ eyes grew bigger and bigger and their shoulders relax as they began to imagine just how magical and memorable that Christmas would be for their family.

Now that I am in college, I feel fortunate to go to a university that recognizes the importance of giving back to the community and puts on a similar program called “Give-a-Gift.” This year we have just wrapped our campaign with nearly 600 individuals receiving gifts this year. It is awe-inspiring to be standing in a ballroom filled with gifts and look at the generosity of people at a time when mankind does not always have the best reputation.

A few days ago, there was a pink bike for a little girl dropped off and I got giddy over imagining the little girl’s reaction when she will receive the bike. In some ways the best gift a person can receive is another person’s enthusiasm, joy, and delight when they open something you carefully picked out for them.

This holiday season, I challenge you and your loved ones to give the gift of giving. Give to others who may have less than you and realize the sensation of joy that you receive in return. The holidays should not be about consuming material goods but should be about receiving and giving gratitude and generosity.