The holidays are a time for giving. But the reason for the season can get overshadowed by the pressure to consume. If you want to cut back on spending, giving back to the community can be a rewarding substitute for excess shopping. Here are six charitable activities that can bring abundance to your family this year.
[See: 7 Ways to Avoid Financial Stress Over the Holidays.]
Send holiday cards to active-duty military and veterans. Members of the military sacrifice for our country. Sending festive holiday cards is one way to show that we appreciate all that they do. Plus, it’s a thoughtful way to give back that’s low-cost.
You can send holiday cards to military members through a local American Red Cross chapter that participates in the Holidays for Heroes program.
If your local chapter doesn’t participate in this program, check to see if A Million Thanks has a card drop-off location near you. A Million Thanks is a nonprofit with a mission to show active-duty and veteran military members our support through letters and cards from the community.
Collect donations for a food bank. Food banks distribute food to families and various organizations that serve people in need. A charitable activity that your family and friends can rally around is collecting items from the community for a local food bank.
You can facilitate your own food drive or gather cash and food donations to contribute to a food drive run by another organization.
Food banks look for nutritious nonperishable items, such as whole grain foods and low-sodium canned meats. Besides groceries, food banks often ask for other items, such as paper goods and school supplies. If you’re interested in donating to a food bank, look through this database of national food banks.
Volunteer at a shelter. If you don’t have cash to spare for donations, you can donate your time, which is just as valuable. Volunteer at a homeless shelter or women and children’s shelters in food prep or meal service. Visiting a shelter to meet the people you serve one-on-one can be a gratifying experience for the entire family. You can search this directory of homeless shelters near you.
[See: 8 Big Budgeting Blunders — and How to Fix Them.]
Donate used clothes and coats. If your family has gently used clothes, sheets or other textiles, give them to Goodwill or put them in a drop-off bin. Make sure the drop-off bin you use accepts donations for charitable purposes. Otherwise, you could put items in a bin that will go to a for-profit group.
Coats are items that homeless and low-income families need during the cold winter months. Search to see if any stores and organizations in your town are holding a “Share the Warmth” drive. Share the Warmth is an initiative that collects gently used coats for needy families.
Assemble a group of friends to sponsor a family. Another way to give back is sponsoring or adopting one family for the holiday. Local religious and charitable groups will gather personal information from families who need sponsorship, including their clothing sizes and holiday wishlists. Then you can choose one of the families to sponsor.
Adopting a family is a charitable activity that may cost a little more than some of the other ideas on this list, but don’t rule it out. You can always get a group of people to chip in for one family.
Furthermore, if you sponsor a family through a qualified non-profit organization‘s program, the donation may be tax-deductible.
[See: 7 Most-Missed Tax Deductions and Credits.]
Have your children pick out affordable toys to donate to Toys for Tots. Instead of adopting a family for the holidays, you can donate to Toys for Tots. Toys for Tots is a program created by the U.S. Marines that collects and distributes new, unwrapped toys to families who can’t afford gifts.
Donating to Toys for Tots is an act of giving that young children can have fun getting involved in. You can ask them to help you choose one or two inexpensive toys that they think another kid will enjoy.
Whether you decide to donate your time, money or belongings, turning your family’s focus from exchanging gifts to giving back can help you cut down on excess spending. If money is tight this year, knowing that you’re giving the gift of joy to others through service can be just as fulfilling.
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6 Ways to Give Back This Holiday Season originally appeared on usnews.com
