10 Ways to Give Back this Holiday Season

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“The purpose of life is not to be happy.  It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

The gifting season is upon us and while we’re all creating our holiday gift lists, it’s also the perfect time to give to people in need. Here are 10 simple ways to give back this holiday season. Remember, giving back doesn’t means you have to spend a lot of money. It just takes effort and we should all take a little time to give back to others.

Collect Cans of Food for your Local Food Bank

Make it easy – collect cans and donate them to a local food bank.  Call ahead and see what they need.  You can also donate your time to help them organize the donations they receive.

Volunteer at a Soup Kitchen

Many homeless shelters can benefit from your help, especially during the colder months.  Volunteer your time at a local food bank, soup kitchen or homeless shelter and help by donating your time to help others.

Collect diapers for your local diaper bank

A recent study completed by Huggies and the National Diaper Bank Network unveiled that 1 in 3 U.S. families struggle with diaper need, or the struggle to provide enough diapers to keep a baby or toddler clean, dry and healthy. Help those families by simply donating diapers.

Buy Huggies at Kroger

Guess what? Huggies and Kroger are making it easy for you to help children in need of diapers. For the first time, Huggies and Kroger have teamed up to help families by donating up to 1 million diapers to the National Diaper Bank Network, a nationwide nonprofit dedicated to helping meet the basic needs of all babies and their families.

From November 8-December 5, when Kroger shoppers BUY Huggies Diapers, 1 Big Pack or 2 Jumbo
Packs, they GET a FREE pack of wipes and Huggies® will also donate a day’s worth of diapers (up to 1MM) to the National Diaper Bank Network.

Since 2011, Huggies has partnered with the National Diaper Bank Network through its No Baby Unhugged program to provide ongoing support for the organization, this includes donating 200 million diapers and wipes, including critical donations during times of crisis. Huggies is thrilled to partner with Kroger for the first time to better support families in need and ensure that all babies get the care they need to thrive.

Blessing Bags

Put together bags of essential items to hand out to people in need. These bags are easy to assemble and fairly inexpensive to make a lot of bags at one time. Keep them in your car so you have them ready to hand out as your shopping and running errands

Run for a Cause

Sign up for a holiday 5K where the proceeds go to a good cause.

Donate items of need to a local pet shelter.

Are you a pet lover?  Consider donating items to your local pet shelter.  Call ahead to see what they need.

Thank a Soldier/Sailor

Write a letter and/or send a package to a military service member currently deployed and thank them for their service.  Dowload free printable HERE.

Participate in a clothing drive

Collect socks, gloves, hats, and winter coats for people in need.

Adopt a “Grandfriend”

Spread holiday cheer this year by adopting a “grandfriend” at a local senior center.  I LOVE this idea!

What are some of the special ways you give back during the holiday season?   Share your acts of kindness in the comments section below. And, make sure you print out our FREE Random Acts of Kindness Advent Calender.

“When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.” ― Maya Angelou