The red kettle bell ringers. The Toys for Tots drive. Food bank collections. Hat, glove, and scarf trees. Adopt-a-family. Tis' the season for all of these things and more. Now is the time you see these organizations push for support from the general public because it is their busiest time of the year. However, they still need help.

Ever since I can remember, giving back is something that has occupied my life. Soup kitchens, collecting toys and clothes, gathering canned foods, and donating extra money to numerous organizations. It started with very simple and small acts of kindness. Of giving my time to someone who valued me for reasons that warmed my heart. The act of giving to someone less fortunate or in more need than myself has always been a passion. There was nothing better than the feeling, the warmth spreading across my face and body, from helping someone who appreciated it with all of their being. Now, I'm not writing this as some sort of want for recognition; I'm writing this for the simple fact that I can't do it alone. I'm writing as a call to action.

This holiday season and every season beyond, it is important to show how thankful you are for what you have. We live in a world that is money hungry and even worse, greedy. We take what we have for granted without thinking that one day it very well could be us using a food bank, or begging for change, or seeking for shelter during the cold winter months. Now, this isn't a bad thing, for I do it as well. It is great to be driven and proud of what you have accomplished and want to spend what you have to help yourself. I'm not saying give all your extra pennies away. I'm saying give things that cost nothing but mean the world. Give your time. Give your smile. Give your happiness. Give your warmth. Give your spirit. Then finally, if you can spare, give some money, a hat, a can of food, or a toy to someone in need. Realize that a little bit, a small act of kindness goes a long way.

So, sign up for that soup kitchen, donate to that cause, carol at a nursing home, package some meals at a food bank, smile and talk to your lonely neighbor, or compliment a stranger. Do something for someone else and reap all the benefits that giving has. Not only are you helping someone else, but you are also helping yourself. You are learning what the true season of giving is. You are experiencing the art of giving. It only takes one small act of kindness to make a difference.