3 Ways to Spread Holiday Cheer Within Your Community
Andrew pictured with his homeroom teacher
There’s something about the chill in the air, constant rounds of hot chocolate, the scent of gingerbread, and the hustle and bustle of people going about that rings the holiday bell! This is one of our favorite times of the year for many reasons. One such reason is the opportunity to give back to the communities we serve and exist in. We were excited when AJ asked if he could gift copies of his book to his teacher and classroom; what an awesome way to spread some Christmas cheer with others! It was a reminder to my husband and me that this time of holiday cheer is big enough to share with others in simple, but meaningful ways. We hope that you have an opportunity to share holiday cheer with others this season as well - no matter how big or small!
In this blog post, I will share 3 simple ideas of ways that you can give back within your own communities below!
Community Blanket Drive: The Christmas holiday takes place during some of the coldest months in the year. Coordinating or participating in a blanket drive can help alleviate one less concern from a person or family in need this season. Wal-Mart, Target, and similar retail stores typically have fleece blankets on sale during this time of year. To organize a blanket drive, you can consider if you want to partner with a non-profit organization to donate the materials to and even co-brand your marketing efforts to help boost the credibility of your drive and attract supporters who are familiar with the brand. If you are a part of an organization, this could also be a wonderful opportunity to come together for a good cause. The opportunities to drive impact are plenty!
Angel Tree Donations: An angel tree is a sponsored initiative that identifies the wants and needs of children and their families for the holidays by way of a wish list. Those wish lists are then published, printed, and placed on a Christmas tree for others to sponsor. You may commonly see angel trees at grocery stores, schools, churches, and more. If you don’t have the time to organize an Angel Tree, it will still be just as helpful to sponsor a child’s individual wish list. The process is simple: Choose which wish list or child you want to sponsor and purchase the items. Don’t forget to deliver your donations to the area designated before the deadline!
Write Christmas Cards to a Nursing Home: Depending on the elder care facility, there may be an opportunity to write, sign, and deliver holiday greeting cards to the residents of the facility (if allowed). Sometimes a simple and kind word of recognition and well-wishes is enough to warm one’s heart during the sometimes coldest time of the year.
A simple act of kindness can be like warm honey being poured over the soul. When we all find a meaningful way to add to our communities, we tend to leave things a little better than we found it.
Wishing you and yours a happy holiday and new years. See you all in 2025!
