How to Help Others During the Holidays

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This holiday season, do your part to help deliver smiles to loved ones and people in need. Reap the feel-good rewards of helping others with these ideas on how to make a difference. 

Giving during the holiday season can mean more than gifts. It’s the time of year when giving back to your community can make an even bigger impact – especially this year when so many need a helping hand.

 
Give time. One of the greatest donations an organization can receive is your time. Volunteer roles can vary significantly depending on the organization you choose but can leave you feeling like you’ve contributed in a real and meaningful way.

From sorting donated items, preparing and distributing warm meals or wrapping gifts, organizations can almost always use an extra set of hands during the holidays.

Make your shopping count. To help make the season even brighter, Amazon is donating millions of items to more than 1,000 charities worldwide through product and monetary donations and is making it easy for you to give back as well. When shopping for holiday supplies or gifts for family and friends, you can give back and donate to your favorite charitable organizations. Simply activate AmazonSmile in the mobile app or on your web browser to get the same online shopping experience you’re accustomed to with the added benefit of donating a portion of eligible purchases to a charity of your choice.

Spread information. People are more willing to contribute to a cause when they understand how they can help. Align with an organization or cause you care about and share details about how the community can help. That might include talking about the group’s mission and needs to your friends and family or simply sharing info about its cause on your social media feeds. Let the organization know you’re eager to generate awareness for its needs, and it can typically find a way to put your skills to use.

Shop for a cause. One thing nonprofits often hear is people want to give, but they don’t know what items will be most useful. You can remove the guesswork with a resource like AmazonSmile Charity Lists, which offers a convenient way to donate to your favorite causes. Just search for your favorite organization and find its list of most-needed items, purchase and have the donation delivered directly to the charity’s door. You can also make a donation to the organization of your choice through your Alexa-enabled device by saying, “Alexa, I want to make a donation.”

Donate gently used items. This holiday season, you’ll probably add new clothes to your closet and new toys to the playroom, but others may not have presents to unwrap. As you receive gifts this holiday, see what gently used toys, clothes and household items could be donated to help others.

Find more information and resources at smile.amazon.com, and share how you’re giving back by using #DeliveringSmiles on social media.

Delivering Smiles to Charitable Organizations in Need Charitable organizations often maintain a wish list of items necessary to deliver on their missions. This holiday season, you can help fulfill AmazonSmile Charity Lists of nonprofit organizations supporting causes including homelessness, hunger, and disaster relief, among others.

Donations including food and pantry items, blankets, sheets, toys, educational items for kids, socks, outerwear, and other apparel items, as well as monetary donations to put toward the purchase of these items, can help provide organizations with essential items they need and products they want.

Among the charities benefiting from this program are: • Heifer International – You can help small-scale farmers transform their communities by donating essential tools.

• St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital –Toys and game donations can help deliver countless smiles to children battling cancer and other life-threatening diseases this holiday season. St. Jude is leading the way the world understands, treats, and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

• Best Friends Animal Society – Essential pet supplies can be donated to help provide nutrition and enrichment to dogs and cats while they await foster or adoptive homes.

• Operation Nightwatch – Help protect homeless communities by giving necessary food and clothing.

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10 Great Reasons to Volunteer This Holiday Season

The holiday season is a time for fun and family, but it is also a time for giving back and being thankful for what you have. As you rush from store to store to pick up yet another present, you might want to take a step back and think about the true spirit of the holiday season.

Volunteering in your community is a great way to live out the true spirit of the holiday season. Every religion places great importance on giving back to its community, and many denominations are especially active at this time of year.

If you have always wanted to volunteer, the holiday season is the perfect time to do so. Here are 10 compelling reasons to volunteer this holiday season.

1. Regular staff is stretched thin during the holidays. The staff at many charities are stretched thin at holiday time, as vacation time and other duties take their toll. Volunteering at this time of year means those hardworking staff members can take time off without feeling guilty.

2. There are lots of people in need. There is no shortage of need during the holiday season. In fact, the needs are even greater at this time of year. That means the hours you give and the care you provide are sure to be appreciated - and greatly needed.  

3. Giving to others will make you feel great. Volunteering is not just for others; reaching out to those in need will make you feel good too.

4. Volunteering is a great way to teach your kids by example. Children learn by example, and volunteering during the holidays is the perfect way to model good behavior. Better yet, look for ways to volunteer with your kids and let them learn firsthand the value of giving back.

5. There are plenty of exciting volunteer opportunities. There is no shortage of volunteer opportunities during the holiday season. No matter what skills you possess or what you want to do, you will find a chance to do it.

6. Volunteering with your family can bring you closer. The holidays are all about family, but it is not always easy to bring the family together. Volunteering as a family promotes bonding and helps you create happy holiday memories.  

7. It is a great alternative to those boring holiday parties. If you cannot stand the thought of one more boring holiday party, just opt out and volunteer instead. You will feel better, and so will the people you help. 

8. A volunteer position could morph into a future career opportunity. Volunteering gives you a great chance to network with community leaders, business owners, and other decision makers. If you are looking for a job, your holiday volunteer position just might morph into a full-time gig come the new year.  

9. You will meet lots of wonderful people. Volunteers are some of the best people in the world, men, and women who give freely of their time with no expectation of reward. When you join those volunteers, you will be teaming up with some of the best people you will ever meet.

10.           Giving to others is what the holiday season is all about. It is easy to lose sight of the true meaning of the holidays, especially when you are rushing around and fighting for a parking spot. Volunteering gives you a chance to step back, give thanks and think about the true meaning of this special time of year.

Whether you are a lifelong volunteer or a first-timer, there are plenty of reasons to give back this holiday season. If you have always thought about volunteering at the holidays but never done it, make this the year you finally take that step.

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