5 Unconventional Ways to Give Back

The season of giving is upon on, and this time of year tends to hit military families harder, especially if our service members won’t be around to celebrate with us. But for many Americans, this season is yet another reminder of everything they aren’t able to have, whether that be food on the table, gifts for their children, or a roof over their heads. This is, however, a time for us to be thankful for all that the military helps provides for our families and give back to the communities we’re living among, at home and abroad, because the holidays are more about your presence than the presents.

Here’s some ideas you may not have thought about on how to get involved and give your presence to your communities this holiday season:

1. Round up old sweaters to donate to an animal shelter.

I know that sounds bizarre. What are animals going to do with your old sweaters? Well, they’re going to wear them, of course! Animal shelters, especially in colder areas, are more than likely looking for something to keep their fur residents warm, and you can make three, yes three, pet sweaters out of one old human sweater.

I promise, the pups and kitties won’t care what colors they are, if they’re a tacky ’80s print, or what fabric they come in, they’ll just be happy to be warm, and the shelter will be pleased to outfit their guests for the long winter ahead. Larger sweaters would be best, but really, whatever you’ve got lying around that hasn’t been worn in a while will do the trick. And if you want to get super crafty, check out this Pinterest idea.

2. Invite a service member to spend the holidays with you.

Give back to those who have given so much. Perhaps you know someone in your service member’s unit that doesn’t have a place to go for the holidays. Invite them to your house!

3. Volunteer to read in nursing homes.

We often forget about our aging population, and much like some of our service members, folks living in nursing and rehab facilities have no place to go for the holidays or can’t leave their locations due to health concerns. Many barely get visitors (a staggering 50% or more are not visited). Help out by simply offering to read to residents at local facilities. Who doesn’t like a good holiday tale? More into music? Offer to play some tunes at the facility. Essentially, anything you can offer that would make for good entertainment for the residents would likely be appreciated and loved.

4. Build or fix a house or shelter.

Homeless Americans have a particularly tough time during this season, not only worrying about where their next meal will come from, but how to stay out of the inclement elements. If you’re handy and have time, team up with your local public housing department or Habitat for Humanity group to see where they could use help fixing things up.

Or, if there’s an elderly family in your neighborhood, see if they would like help picking up their leaves, shoveling their walkways, covering their windows to keep in heat, or patching a hole in their siding. Small jobs will cost very little, help to improve the look of your area, and of course, help out your community member that might not be able to do it themselves. This one’s great for kids, too.

5. Send your holiday cards to be repurposed.

I’ve done this with all my greeting cards for years! St. Jude’s Ranch for Children takes in old greeting cards (without writing/marks on the inside front of the card) and repurposes them into new greeting cards, which they sell through their shop to support the ranch and the abused/homeless children, adults, and families they take in.

All you have to do is mail in your old Christmas, birthday, thank you, get well, or whatever cards to their center, and they handle the rest! Round up cards from all of your friends and family. Easy peasy, and all it costs is your postage.

There are tons of ideas out there for giving back to your community this holiday season and they don’t have to cost you an arm and a leg; sometimes your present is just your presence.