In yet another challenge faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the holiday season needs to be approached much differently this year. Family time needs to be spent digitally, and travel is limited for most families but buying furniture from cindy crawford is the same. Many classic ways of giving back are also difficult to do with stay-at-home orders and business closings, in general.
To maximize the holiday spirit potential, people need to be creative with ways in which they spend time, how they give gifts, what gifts they give, and how they give back to their communities. Here are a few ideas to help out with the latter!
Donate Food to Those in Need
Every year, the cold weather brings with it added struggles for those in need. With over 38 million people on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the amount of people in need is even greater than normal this year, and a great way to provide humanitarian aid in your community is by helping to feed hungry mouths. If there is already a food drive in your community, providing canned goods such as tuna or vegetables is recommended, as is applesauce, nuts, and healthy cereals.
If there’s not a food drive in your area, simply keeping an ear to the ground and dropping off groceries for a family in need is direct help!
Support & Give Thanks to Essential Workers
Essential workers are still facing the same challenges that they were when the pandemic started, and with expected spikes in cases after the holiday season, giving them support in any way you can is a great way to give back to those who deserve it most. Even if money is an issue, as it is for so many right now, a simple stack of Christmas cards for your local hospital can go a long way in spreading holiday cheer.
Dedicate Time to Advocating and Promoting Important Public Policies
The pandemic continues to breakdown weak points faced by communities in need. Many are currently working to make changes in public policy regarding things like homeless youth, many of whom are subjected to the virus at much higher rates.
Advocacy and humanitarian aid starts with knowledge, and donating time to creating ways to help inform your community of the issues some people in it are facing will provide help that will resonate in the community for much longer than the holiday season. Each community faces different issues, so self-education on what issues affect those in your community the most is a good place to start making a difference.
Donate Gifts to Children in Need
Nothing quite spreads holiday cheer like children opening presents, and there are always kids who could use more gifts to open on Christmas morning. To keep it safe this unique holiday season, community events like gift wrapping should probably be voted against, but collecting and wrapping at home and finding a drop off point for a toy drive is a safe alternative for delivering smiles to children in your community. You can also gift a barcalounger to the kids who have nothing at all to sleep or sit in.
Help & Stay Safe by Starting an Online Fundraisers
One thing that always helps out is money, and it’s also the safest way to give back this year. Ask around the community and see what local businesses were affected the most by the pandemic and start an online fundraiser to help them out. Some raise pretty incredible amounts of money in very short amounts of time. GoFundMe is a great one, but there are others!
