Christmas Volunteer Ideas
During the Christmas season, the secret Santa Claus inside you may be dying to get out. Why not spend the holidays volunteering time and energy in your community? Whether you choose to do it alone or get the family involved, there's no greater gift, especially at this time of year, than yourself. It doesn't take a lot to make a difference in others' lives. Does this Spark an idea?
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Donate Time to a Homeless Shelter
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At a homeless shelter, whether you are ladling hot soup on a cold day, handing out warm mittens or simply acknowledging a person who is living on the street, you are practicing kindness and generosity. By honoring homeless people with a kind word, a gentle touch or a cup of soup, you are committing yourself to the true spirit of Christmas.
Visit a Nursing Home
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Spend some of your Christmas holiday visiting a nursing home. The Christmas season can be a lonely time for nursing home residents, so you can spread holiday cheer by dropping in for a visit. Spend an afternoon talking to residents, making Christmas cards, painting their fingernails, playing board games or simply conversing. If you have children or friendly pets, bring them along to keep the residents company (check with the facility first). You might take gifts or homemade cookies, tokens of the Christmas spirit.
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Be a Secret Santa
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Surprise someone with a gift from a secret Santa. Whether it's your elderly neighbor whose snowy driveway needs shoveling, the single parent counting her pennies in line behind you at the grocery store or a co-worker who is mourning a bad breakup, opportunities are present to secretly make someone's holiday. It usually takes no more than a creative on-the-spot thought to make someone smile and feel loved at Christmas. The best part: random acts of kindness feel as good to you as they do to the recipient.
Adopt a Family
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Adopt a needy family over the holidays, providing them with a Christmas tree, presents to put beneath it, Christmas dinner and your lifelong friendship. Financial difficulties are never more apparent than at Christmas time, especially if children are involved. If you know a family that has had a tough year and could use a little Christmas cheer, pull your friends and resources together and give this family a Christmas they won't soon forget.
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