Whether it’s connecting with a local charity, or lending someone a helping hand, the holidays are a time of the year that a lot more people need help. Below are a few ideas to give back to your community this holiday season.
Donating Food
Many local charities in your community have a food bank that is short in supply this time of year. Cleaning out your pantry or simply spending a little extra at the grocery store can go a long way. Many of these food banks have drop-off locations throughout the city.
Spending time with Someone
Giving money or donations is important but so is giving someone your time. Often people just need someone to talk to, to know that they are not alone. Grab a coffee and go check on that friend or family member and let them know you care.
Seek out Volunteer Work
Helping the homeless, assisting the local soup kitchen, and providing any kind of assistance to a local shelter is an amazing way to give back. They are often short on staff and volunteers help keep the doors open for those in need.
Donating Clothing or Gifts
Many shelters need warm clothing this time of year. Donating any unused hats, gloves, coats, and boots is truly appreciated.
Consider contacting local churches, shelters, group homes, and youth centers to see what they are in most need of this holiday season. Many of these organizations gather “gifts” for young children and teens in need.
At Green Processing Company, we try to give back to the community as much as possible throughout the year, volunteering at the local soup kitchen a few times throughout the year. Every year we also pick one to two local charities to make a donation during the holiday season.
This year we donated to the Windsor Youth Center. WYC is a safe place for teens to go after school. They provide them with a hot meal, activities to occupy their time, help them with homework and several other programs. WYC relies mainly on donations and volunteers to keep its doors open. Every year they put together gift bags for the teens who don’t have a home to go to. We were able to provide them with sweaters, toiletries, hats, gloves, and some clothing.
We also made a donation to the Windsor Residence for Young Men, helping your men ages 16-24. This program provides them with a home, teaches them valuable life skills, helps them get jobs, and with independent living. Their motto “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him to fish and he will feed himself for a lifetime”. We provided them with food, cleaning supplies, toiletries, and of course, recycle bins!
A Lasting Thought
There are many ways to give back to your community that don’t involve just giving money.
We encourage everyone to do what they can to help your community and those in need this holiday season.