So many people are inspired by the holiday season to give back to the community. Many of us reflect on the blessings that we are so fortunate to receive and look around us and see that many others do not share in that fortune. For many people, this time of the year is filled with a bevy of holiday parties, family gatherings, and a surfeit of food, but for others, who are less fortunate, the holiday season is a challenging time.
There are many people who want to volunteer during the holiday season, which is truly wonderful, since there are plenty of people and organizations that need support. With that said, given the overwhelming number of volunteers who express interest in participating during the holidays, it is challenging for organization to keep up with this demand and place volunteers. For this reason, I strongly encourage you to plan ahead to find volunteer opportunities now and after the holiday season and, if you find that organizations are not accepting further volunteers at this time, you might want to think about using this time to plan out your 2024 volunteer commitments. Also, be sure to check out the MANY Santa trees in the area to make Christmas wishes come true!
Volunteering is an incredibly important aspect of community life, far beyond the time spent by one person and one day. It is the collective spirit of all volunteers and many hours and days and the experience with other people from the community that not only helps those who are in need, but broadens our own personal experience in the community. For those who are interested in volunteering during the holidays, I have listed below some tips for volunteering during this season and also included resources for finding volunteer opportunities after the holidays. When considering volunteering during the holiday season, please keep in mind that volunteers are needed 365 days of the year.
A fantastic, free resource is JustServe.org where you can find literally hundreds of service opportunities.
Here are some other great ideas to help you stay in the spirit of giving this holiday season:
- Visit the Light the World Giving Machines at Cherry Creek. These “service” vending machines profit local and global nonprofits with 100% of proceeds going directly to them.
- Collect food from your neighbors, office or school and donate to a food pantry.
- Collect clothes from neighbors to donate to a homeless shelter or Goodwill.
- Organize a toy drive among friends and donate the toys to a local Santa house.
- Make cards for hospital patients.
- Adopt a family for the holidays through a local church.
- Adopt a grandparent at a nursing home.
- Take pet care supplies to an animal shelter.
- Hot chocolate stand to raise money for a charity.
- Offer to help winterize and decorate homes for seniors in your neighborhood.
In Denver, volunteer resource centers like Spark the Change are great places to search for and get connected to volunteer opportunities, specifically because all the organizations we work with are non-profit organizations that are looking for volunteers. Please check out the list below for additional resources:
- JustServe.org
- Sparkthechange.org
- Volunteermatch.org
- Salvationarmy.org
- MileHighUnitedWay.org
- ysa.org
- doinggoodtogether.org
However you decide to serve, there’s no better way to spend time with your family than by giving back.
-Alex Kister
Author: Mile High Mamas
