Ways to Serve During the Holidays
At Land of Promise (LOP) food donations and requests to serve increase during the holiday season. There are many reasons why this is the most wonderful time of the year for me. However, witnessing the generosity of others is at the top of my list. Whether you want to make an impact in your community with your children or connect with a group, there are many ways to share your generosity and give back to the community and those in need.
Serve locally:
1. Serve in a soup kitchen or donate to a food pantry.
2. Collect gently used clothing and other items to donate to churches, homeless shelters or thrift shops.
3. Adopt a senior(s) in a nursing home to reduce isolation and loneliness during the holiday season. Bring them some holiday cheer!
4. Collect items for infants and toddlers and donate them to a center for expectant mothers.
5. Host a blanket and coat drive for the homeless adults and children so they may keep them warm during the winter.
6. Help at a local animal shelter by walking the pets and donating pet supplies.
7. Take a box of toys to a children’s hospital or donate to the “Toys for Tots” Foundation.
8. Bake cookies or cakes for your local fire department, police station, your neighbors, or a single mom.
9. Party with a Purpose - Parties can be designed for the participants to give back to the community. Some options are to offer in-kind donations at the door to be donated to a charity. Host a singing or dancing contest with the winner donating the proceeds to a charity of their choice.
Impact Internationally:
10. Surprise a soldier(s) by sending a care package and/or send Christmas cards to military personnel stationed overseas. http://operationtroopaid.org/.
11. Operations Christmas Child – Build a shoebox online by choosing a list of gifts for a child in need. https://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/buildonline/?utm_source=Ggl&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=m_YGOB-B17V_GGLOCCBrand-BASBO-LP&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5_vNsbyA2AIVgUsNCh3yCg3qEAAYASAAEgJzi_D_BwE
Small Acts of Kindness:
11. Call a friend you haven’t talked to in a while.
12. Pay for a layaway anonymously.
13. Run an errand for someone.
14. Give an unexpected generous tip to make someone’s day.
15. Smile at a stranger.
16. Give a genuine compliment every day.
17. Bring treats to the office to share with coworkers.
18. Donate blood and save a life.
19. Write a note or send an email of appreciation to someone who has positively impacted your life.
Hopefully, this list has sparked new ideas and will challenge you to share your generosity by serving this holiday season. One final option to find the right opportunity, is Volunteer Match https://www.volunteermatch.org/. They specialize in making volunteer recruiting quick, easy and effective. Thank you for serving during the holidays.
“Lets’ All Eat Together”
