With all the gift guides coming out (mine included) it sometimes seems that the only thing people are interested in this time of year is what they’ll be receiving or stressing about what they’ll be giving. One of the overlooked aspects of the holiday season is those who are in need. There’s a lot of ways you can give back this season and even giving the tiniest bit helps! I wanted to share with you guys some ways that you can give back. Some are specific and some are just general ideas! I’ll link sites and give as much information as I can but local specific things like food and clothing drives are neighbourhood specific.
Items and Food Donations
Food Drives
If you ask any shelter, or soup kitchen food donations are usually always a welcome thing around the holiday season and into the colder months. Food donations, especially if you have connections in the restaurant or grocery/bakery business are an amazing way to give back and not throw out end-of-day goods!
Blanket and Clothing Drives
Blanket drives are especially important during the winter months as blankets get passed out by local non-for-profits, charities and shelters during the winter months to the homeless either in shelters or on the streets.
Clothing donations are great to give to goodwill, shelters or battered women shelters. If you are unfamiliar with the clothing donation process, it’s a really good idea to go reach out to a few different places to find out what they are looking for in terms of donations. Usually women’s shelters will be looking for baby/children’s clothing and professional attire along with beauty product basics (foundation, mascara etc.) and hygienic products. Some clothing drives will take everything, however, specific shelters who help clothe people for interviews etc. are usually more overlooked and will welcome the donations!
Holiday Donations at Sick Kids
There are so many ways to give back through Sick Kids, there is the Wish list and the Toy and Game Fund. Find out more here: http://www.sickkids.ca/ways-to-give/gifts-in-kind/beneficial-items-wish-lists/index.html
Monetary Donations
The Salvation Army
If you’ve walked around any of your local malls at this time of year, you have likely heard the bells of the Salvation Army Christmas Kettlers. On your way past considering dropping in a small donation, or reach out to a local chapter to see how you can volunteer your time.
https://salvationarmy.ca/christmas-kettles/
The Red Cross
Each year the Red Cross creates survival kits, you can choose a budget and they’ll build a survival kit for you. You can choose between six different kits, three domestic and three international.
https://donate.redcross.ca/page/33469/donate/1?gclid=Cj0KCQiA3b3gBRDAARIsAL6D-N96IHcqxGJBlpTBTfDaxyOGYrQ6FmoR8FWOAwHJqtUF6em1eP1iz7kaApg5EALw_wcB
Others
There are so many disasters and crisis happening around the world. This holiday season considering helping those in California who have lost their homes to the fires, ANY of the MILLIONS of refugees displaced in South America or the Middle East, helping those in the third world acmes food, water, education, equal rights, women’s rights, shelter etc. consider helping those within our own countries who need our help. Even in Canada there are thousands of people in need.
Gifts with a Cause
Love Your Melon
Love Your Melon is a company that donates 50% of the profits from the sale of all Love Your Melon products to the fight against pediatric cancer.
Rainbow Pride Box
The purchase of each limited edition rainbow box supports the operation costs of an LGBTQ Youth Hotline
FEED + West Elm
By purchasing their word serving board you provide 16 meals to families in America.
I hope you guys enjoyed this blogmas post and it gave you some ideas on how to give back this holiday season! Stay tuned for more blogmas!
xoxo Steph
