The holiday season is a time of giving, but giving doesn’t mean that you have to spend a fortune donating your own money to a charity. There are plenty of charitable things that you can do that will not cost you any money but will still allow you to do your part to give.
Donate old toys.
There are plenty of children in the world today that will not be receiving holiday presents, but there are also plenty of organizations out there that try to give underprivileged kids at least one gift during the holidays. Take a look around your community and find a charitable organization that will accept old toys, and have your kids go through all of their things and pick out the toys they no longer play with. Then, you and your kids can bring these toys to the organization and donate them to children in need. Not only are you doing something good for underprivileged kids, but it’s also a good way to teach your children about giving and clear out some space for your child’s new toys.
Donate old clothes.
Along with toys, there are plenty of organizations that will also accept clothing donations. Go through your closets, storage bins and attics and find clothes that you no longer want or can no longer fit in and donate them to a charity. These charities will then give your clothing to people who don’t have the resources to afford their own clothes. These organizations will usually take coats and other outerwear too.
Volunteer.
There are plenty of charities and non profit organizations that are in desperate need of volunteers during the holidays, and this is a great way to do some good without having to spend any money. Even if you can only volunteer for a few hours a month, it’s still a significant amount of help and you’re still doing some good. Make sure that you choose a charity that means something to you and reach out to them to see if they’re in need of volunteers. You can do anything from standing at a red bucket for the Red Cross or spending a few hours meeting with elderly people at a retirement home.
Offer a service for free.
Offer to do something for someone for free. For example, if you clean houses, clean someone’s house without charging them. If you babysit, give your best customers a night of free babysitting. It may not seem like much to you, but it’s a great way to spread some goodness during the holiday season. Plus, you may just inspire someone else to offer up a service for free.
Clean up.
Is there a place in your town that is always filled with trash? Take some time out of your day and clean it up. Removing the trash from the environment is a great way to help the environment. Plus, if other people see you, they may join in and help, or you may inspire more people to try and keep the area clean.
