Easy Ways To Give Back To The Community
Winter and the holidays are a time when a lot more volunteering opportunities are available. Many people tend to volunteer more during the holidays, perhaps because they feel like giving back to the community, or maybe it is because the holiday spirit brings out the best in people. Whatever it is, the holidays are a great time to get involved and help out your neighbors, friends, and the community. There are many different ways to help out, not all volunteering has to be done through events or organizations.
Volunteering and giving back to your community is a great way to spend family time together while making a difference. Volunteering with your kids can show them the importance of helping others and giving the holidays a different meaning. It may even encourage them to spend more time throughout the year helping others and making a difference.
Finding time to volunteer may be difficult, especially around the busy holiday season. But there are simple things you and your family can do that can make a difference and help those around you.
At Resurrection Christian School, we encourage our students to get involved in the community and volunteer in different ways. Our students take part in different organizations throughout the year, including Art for Water, Operation Christmas Child, and more. But we also encourage our students to get involved in the community outside of school, whether it’s with their families or friends. Encourage your kids to volunteer and help out your neighbors and friends this winter, and feel free to join them!
There are simple ways to help out and give back, in this blog we will go over different things you and your kids can do for your community and neighbors, starting this winter!
Donate
In our previous blog, we discussed donating old toys that your kids aren’t playing with anymore. But you can go even further than that. Go through old books, jackets, clothing, kitchen supplies, and other things that you can donate. A lot of these items are needed by families and sadly many families who take part in Adopt-A-Family, ask for winter jackets, gloves, strollers, and other items for Christmas. They don’t need the latest toys, they need everyday items. So, if you have extra items lying around your home and donate them, allowing people who need these items to get a hold of them.
Another simple way to donate is to find loose change around your home, car, backpack, or purse and drop it in a Salvation Army bucket. Every penny counts, and your spare change can help change someone’s life.
Donate your time to help your at your church’s food drive, toy drive, or whatever other volunteer events they host. Sign up for some of these with your family and spend one day on the weekend helping out. Your church is a great place to find these event and get involved with your community.
Head To The Senior Center
Senior citizens often get lonely around the holidays. Many of them do not get visitors, and this time of year can be hard for them. There are many senior centers around Fort Collins and Loveland, and many of them are happy to have volunteers come to visit the seniors. Spend some time learning their stories, talking to them, and reading or playing card games with them.
This is simple to do and can be fun. Your children will love hearing the stories the seniors have to tell and the time spent listening means a lot to these folks. This easy activity will make all the difference to those who never get visitors. Visiting senior citizens is a great way to make a difference, and can truly brighten someone’s day.
Pay It Forward
A small gesture is a great way to make a difference and help spread a bit of holiday cheer. When you are getting your morning coffee at your favorite coffee shop, pay it forward by buying the coffee of the next person in line. This type of action can start a chain reaction and get people passing of the good gestures all day long. Sometimes it is fun doing a good deed without anyone knowing about it, it is like being Batman, but without the villains.
You never know how your contribution can change someone’s day. When someone is having a bad day and they feel likes nothing can go right, a small and simple thing like this can completely turn it around. You could help someone with more than just their coffee. You could brighten up their day and put a smile on their face. This is fun for your and your family to do as well. Ask your kids to pick out a family at a restaurant and pay for their meal. Your kids will love the secret surprise and the family will never forget a moment like that.
Help Neighbors
Your neighbors may be strangers, or they may be your best friends. Either way, helping them out from time to time is a great way to help out in your community. If you have an elderly neighbor, encourage your children to shovel their driveway when it snows, help them put up Christmas lights, or any other small task that may help out. Help carry in their groceries, offer to walk their dog, and help in any other way you can think of.
Another fun thing for you and your family to do for your neighbors is to make Christmas cookies and deliver them to each home. This is a great way to reconnect with your neighbors and spread some holiday cheer.
If some of your neighbors are new parents, have your teens offer to babysit for them while they go on a date night. They will love the break and be grateful they are able to spend a night enjoying each others company. If your teen already babysits a few of the neighborhood kids, then this is a great way for them to give back. Encourage them to offer to babysit for free and allow the parents to get a break.
Make Care Packages
Unfortunately, the homeless population in Fort Collins are growing, and while many people think that giving money and other items to the homeless is making the problem worse, they are in need, especially as the weather gets colder. Make simple care packages to hand out as you see people you need them. This is an idea from Foodlets, and is an easy way to make a difference.
These care packages don’t have to be extravagant, they can be simple and just carry items that are needed. Some ideas include: socks and underwear, granola bars, bottles of water, gloves, hand warmers, packets of gum, Advil, and snacks that last. These are simple items to get and distribute, and they are sure to make a huge difference, helping someone who is truly in need.
Say Yes To Different Opportunities
There are many different ways you and your kids can make a difference everyday without even realizing it. Your children have the ability to volunteer through the organizations we have at Resurrection Christian School, that is a good place to start. Be a good example for your kiddos and say yes to different opportunities that present themselves.
Many sports clubs or schools will have students stand out front of grocery stores and hand out lists of items they are collection for families in need. Instead of grabbing a list and throwing it away, get a few items off the list. Even if it means you don’t get your favorite ice cream so you can get a jar of peanut butter for another family, this is an easy way to help out.
Donate to the Salvation Army bell-ringers, pick a name of off the Christmas tree in the mall that asks you to get gifts for other kids, help out in your church, and take part in different volunteering opportunities that pop up in your life. If you do this, and this alone, you will end up helping out more than you know. You will make a difference. If everyone did this, imagine how beautiful of a world it would be. This is a simple way to help out your community. You can find a list of other way you can give back here!
Volunteering and giving back to the community is important, especially around this time of year. Starting a family traditions focused on helping others is a great way to give back and can help you children become more involved throughout the year. Resurrection Christian School is a great place for your kids to start. We encourage our students to give back to the community and we hope you do as well! Contact us today to learn more!
