The holidays are a cheerful time for many, filled with lots of love and giving. I always feel motivated to give back to local organizations around the holidays because not everyone is privileged enough to receive gifts and I am. Giving Tuesday was this week and so I did some research on how to give back this holiday season.
Donate
One of the simplest ways to give back is by donating to those in need. You can find a charity you care about with this website and use their “Hot Topics” menu to narrow down organizations to different categories or search an organization directly by their name. Their menu “Top Ten Lists” is also helpful. You can also speak to family and friends and ask about their favorite charities/causes. Or, if you’re a member of any groups on campus, you could ask them if they’d be interested in sponsoring a child and buying them holiday gifts. Donations don’t always have to be monetary, though. Often, different organizations do toy, clothing, or school supply drives that you can give to as well. I’ve seen some Toys for Tots collection boxes around campus, which is a reputable cause.
Volunteer
Volunteering makes you and others feel good. Make it a resolution to start volunteering more by using a website like Volunteer Match to locate a place to volunteer locally. You can search by location or cause to identify a place that needs your help. You could also reach out to a service club on campus, like Circle K, or consider joining Alpha Phi Omega. SU’s JCCE (Johnson Center for Civic Engagement) is also a great resource. If you email them at volunteer@susqu.edu, you can sign up for a bi-weekly email newsletter called the “River Corps Newsletter” that will tell you about on-campus and local volunteer opportunities!
Make a purchase that gives back
You can make a purchase for yourself or as a gift for someone else and support a cause at the same time! Many companies give back to charitable causes – whether it be a percentage of profits or an actual item. Below are just a few examples of brands with trendy items who give back with every purchase.
- TOMS donates a pair of shoes to a child in need with every pair of shoes bought.
- S’well helps provide clean water to communities in need globally.
- Love Your Melon makes the cutest, warmest beanies and donates back 50% of profits to support pediatric cancer research.
- Ivory Ella makes elephant themed apparel that gives back to Save the Elephants.
These are just a few ways to truly make a difference this holiday season. ‘Tis the season to spread the joy and give back!