Introduction
It is officially the holiday season! This means it is time to bring out the holiday decorations, get in some last-minute gift shopping, or curl up in your blankets with your family as you watch reruns of your favourite family shows. While this sounds like the perfect way to spend the holidays, with love and laughter, it is but a distant dream for many people who might have no gifts, home or even family.
Now you might say, “I would love to give back to people who need an extra lifting of spirits during the holiday season but most of my money is going towards gifts or other activities with my family, which is something that is also important to me.” Fortunately, there are so many other unique and creative ways to do something special to bring a smile to people’s faces without having to choose between the two options. We have compiled a list of ideas to get you started.
How can I give back during the holiday season?
Answer Children’s Letters To Santa
This is your chance to assist Santa as his elf by answering letters that children write to Santa. Every year, some USPS postal branches keep letters that underprivileged children write to Santa for volunteers who can read and answer them. The USPS Operation Santa went online a couple of years ago, so you can also type out your letter and submit it on the Be An Elf website. This could be a great activity to complete with your family too. If you choose to do so, you can sponsor a child’s gift for Christmas as well, though this would have to be mailed to one of the USPS’s US postal branches. Check out the Be An Elf website for more details on the program.
Sponsor lunch for holiday workers
While everyone is at home enjoying some quality time with their family, there are some people who have to be on call and away from their loved ones, like emergency responders, firefighters, retail workers etc. It would be a great initiative to pack lunch for them during their workday to show how much you appreciate them. It would save them some cash, but it would also brighten their day just a little bit.
You could also volunteer to send online messages showing gratitude and appreciation to the Canadian Armed Forces personnel stationed overseas and away from their families and friends. Check out the Canadian Armed Forces Webpage to find out how you can do this.
Put together toiletry kits or gift bags for women’s shelters
Women at local women’s shelters come with almost nothing, so it would be a great help for them to access pre-made kits of toiletries or other necessary items they may need as newcomers. Make sure to contact the shelter beforehand to know their requirements. This way, you would be giving back and would also have a unique get-together activity that you and your friends or colleagues can contribute to and engage in
Organize a charity event
If you are a business looking to give back to the community, this one’s for you! You and your colleagues or team could produce a charity event (like a marathon) whose proceeds would go entirely towards a charity your business cares about. It would be a very nice holiday event that would help boost team morale and relationships while raising the guests’ awareness about the cause your business stands by.
If you are having trouble planning the event, that is what we are here for! With the assistance of our innovative ideas and high-quality consulting services, you would be able to realize your vision (and more) for any charity goodwill event your business plans on organizing.
Summary
And that is it! With those ideas in your back pocket, the only thing left to do is gather a few close friends or colleagues and get started! If you would like to know more about our Event Consulting services, please feel free to check out our website or contact us with any questions.
Happy Holidays!
