Give Back This Holiday Season

The holiday season is almost upon us. Most people think of lights, food, loved ones, quality time, and some gifts too. However, the holiday season isn’t something to look forward to for everyone. It’s important that while your children know the excitement and fun of the holidays, they also know it can be a difficult and dark season for some. This makes it a wonderful time to give back and make someone’s holiday season a little bit brighter. 

It doesn’t have to be much, and it doesn’t need to necessarily be a lot of money. It’s all about giving back your time and energy to help those who may be having a harder season of life than your family. Here are some volunteer opportunities ideas that the entire family can participate in:

1. Sponsor another family: You can typically find a family to sponsor through churches, schools, businesses, and other organizations to help them with what they need for the holidays.
2. Bake cookies for first responders: Spend a Saturday baking with your family and drop them off at a police or fire station nearby.
3. Donate to Toys for Tots: Have your children pick out a special toy while holiday shopping to donate to Toys for Tots and teach them about what the organization does.
4. Make holiday cards for military personnel: Get out all your arts and crafts supplies to make some holiday cards to send off to military personnel.
5. Serve food at a shelter in your area: Your family can spend time together serving food at a homeless shelter nearby to bring some holiday cheer.
6. Pass out candy canes with inspirational notes while holiday shopping: You can tie some inspirational notes to candy canes to pass out while holiday shopping to spread joy.
7. Collect hygiene items to donate to a local shelter: You can involve your family and friends to get a large pile of hygiene items together to donate to a local shelter.
8. Help a neighbor in need: This doesn’t necessarily need to be monetarily. Is your neighbor elderly and can use some company? Do they need help shoveling snow out of their driveway? Everyone could use something, so think about what your neighbor could use.
9. Sing carols at a local nursing home: Sing loud and spread some holiday cheer at a local nursing home!
10. Start a pay it forward chain (or a few): Teach your children to pay it forward, not only during the holiday season, but throughout the year.

We wish you a happy and healthy holiday season full of love and giving back! After you give back this holiday season, make sure to bring your family by Richmond 40 Bowl if you’re in the Richmond, Indiana area! You can see our hours of operation here.