Happy Friday friends! I am so glad this work week has wrapped up. I am reaching my last few weeks of work for 2021 and it's getting difficult for me to focus. I am taking the last two weeks of the year off to spend time with family and friends and I am so excited. Fingers crossed my last work-week of 2021 goes smoothly and I don't have too many things that pop up at the last minute.
The holidays bring out the giving spirit in everyone, so I thought for today's Blogmas post it would be fun to share ten ways that we can give back this season. A lot of these are small things that you (or I) can to do to bring a smile to someone else's face as they prepare for the holidays.
10 Ways to Give Back
1. Support your local food bank. During the holidays, local food banks collect extra food or goods for those that are in need during this time of year. If you do not know of any food banks in which you can donate food, check out your local church or local schools to see if they are collecting cans for a food bank. It's likely someone in your area is collecting food/goods which you can donate.
2. Pay it forward. This one is common throughout the year, but during the holidays you can bring a smile to someone's face by paying for their food/drink in the drive through. If you want to take it one step forward, you can leave a gift card at the store and have them use it until it runs out of money.
3. Pay someone's utilities during the month of December. If you are local to Michigan, you can check out The Heat and Warmth Fun (THAW). They are a local organization where you can donate and they will coordinate the payment of someone's utilities. What better way to help out a local family anonymously and make sure they do not have to worry about their gas/water/electric bill this month.
4. Volunteer at a local animal shelter. If you have some extra time during the holidays, why not head out to your local shelter to volunteer to help them with whatever you are able to help them. During the holidays, they tend to be busy as families look to add a new family member so it's the perfect time to try and help them by volunteering your time.
5. Offer to watch a friend's kids. This one is a bit out there, but if you have any friends with little ones, why not off to take the kids off their hands for a few hours so they can get a break, go shopping or do whatever they need to do to get ready for the holidays. Want to take it a step further? Offer to give them a few different time slots to help them out.
6. Sponsor a child/family/senior. If you have the ability to do so, sponsoring a child/family/senior ensures that they are able to have a great Christmas without the added stress of choosing between paying bills or having a nice Christmas. I've personally done all types of sponsorships, but I think supporting seniors was my favorite.
7. Make meals for the homeless. Depending on your area, you have the opportunity to put together a meal for someone that is living on the streets. This can include packing a sandwich and some snacks or providing them with a hot meal at a local restaurant. It really depends with which option you are comfortable.
8. Send cards to military personnel. There are a few programs out there that coordinate mailing cards to soldiers overseas. Why not have your family get together and make a card that will go to someone that will not be home for the holidays?
9. Shovel a neighbors driveway. If you live anywhere where snow is a common occurrence, then taking the time to shovel (or snow blow) the neighbors sidewalk/driveway is a good way to help someone out. I know we always appreciate when our neighbor surprises us with a nice and clean driveway.
10. Over tip your waiter/waitress. During the holidays, there is nothing better than giving a larger-than-normal tip to your server to show them you appreciate them. Justin and I have a dream to some day give a waiter/waitress a tip that way over exceeds the value of the meal. I'm hoping next year we are able to set aside enough money to surprise someone that really needs it.
Well that is everything for today's post! I am planning to do a Christmas wreath tutorial tomorrow (provided I can get everything I need in time) for Blogmas Day 11! Come back tomorrow to check it out.
Disclosure: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. Read my full disclosure policy here.
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