5 Ways To Give Back To Your Community During on Thanksgiving

For a lot of families, the holidays are a beautiful time of year filled with laughter, treats, and family-fun. However, for many throughout the world, this time can be lonely and painful. People often hear feel-good stories of large donations going to families in need or a random act of kindness that brightened an individual’s day, but how can one do this for others? Read below for five ways to give back to your community on Thanksgiving.

Elderly Love
Many moms, dads, brothers, and sisters sit alone during the holidays in their retirement home room. The only thing on their agenda is eating unseasoned food and watching an old-time holiday favorite. For most in these situations, Thanksgiving and the holidays that follow are filled with sadness. There is an easy fix, however.

One great way to bring a smile is to create meaningful holiday cards. Create an activity for your kids, friends, or family to take part in, and create some holiday love. It is as simple as drawing handmade turkeys and wishing them a delighted gobble day. If time is of no concern, take it an extra mile, and hand deliver the cards. The smiles on the faces of the receivers will be worth more than you can imagine. You might even meet some interesting new people that bring new light to your life.

Donations
This one seems far too obvious. How do you help people in need? Supply them with things that they do not have. For example, food and clothing. Take a look through your cabinets and see if you have any food that others might need. You can also take to the grocery store where you can buy things as you desire, although many outlets offer pre-wrapped bundles for donation. Contact local churches to drop off donations or look through the phonebook or online for other food banks.

This is also the time of year when the weather begins to cool. This creates a need for warm clothing. Whether it be socks, gloves, or coats, it could be a great use to someone in need. Have your kids, friends, and family look through their closets for any old, unfitting winter clothing that could be of use elsewhere. You can then call around to find places to donate, such as local shelters and charities.

Volunteer Your Time
This is a great way to give back to your community. Each city has local soup kitchens you can volunteer to help at throughout the day. On top of giving back, this experience can be very humbling. The appreciation of the people served is liable to change your outlook on life and gratitude.

Meals on Wheels is also a great way to give back. This organization delivers food to people over 60, who are homebound, unable to prepare food for themselves, and do not have caregivers. Over the past twenty years, the need for meals on wheels has increased significantly, so volunteers are always welcome.

Shop Local
The end of Thanksgiving means the beginning of shopping; after black Friday comes Shop Local Saturday. This is a huge way to give back to your community. For example, a local business in my neighborhood saves up their tips each month and donates it to a local charity. Look for a local store that does this sort of thing as an extra way to give back. This way you are helping support local businesses, but also helping to support local charities as well.

Invitations
This is the simplest way to give back to your community. As stated above, the holidays can be a time of sadness or loneliness for some. If you know someone who has no family or can’t travel back home, invite them over to your home for dinner. Adding an extra head to the meal won’t take much, but it can drastically improve their holiday.