What are some ways you give back, especially during the holidays? My oldest will be 3 this December, so I really want to start a tradition of giving to others in need during the holidays, but I need some inspiration! How do you get your littles involved?
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Holiday cards for nursing homes!
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Giving back year round is also a reputable trait to teach.
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One year we made treats and toys and donated to pet shelter
Adopt a family for Christmas that’s in need. Whether it be gifts, Christmas dinner…
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Adding to the gifts on the Xmas trees in stores – IF they have them where you are.
If there are any elderly people in your neighbourhood , who don’t get visitors , start visting them throughout the year.
Donate to your nearest charity such as salvation army food , gifts donations whatever need be. Your nearest pet shelter.buy pet food money whatever. Put together a small hamper.give to a needy family u know
Every Christmas my kids will go through their clothes and toys and pack a box of things to donate for kids in need.
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If there is a toy drive in your area have your little one pick out a toy or two to donate. Just explain that the toy may go to another little boy who may not have any
We always “adopt a family”. My son helps shop for gifts for the children in the family we adopt-usually there’s a child his age in the family. My son also works in the food pantry through our church with some of his friends.
Go through old toys and clothes for donations to kids less fortunate. Or if you have the extra funds you can “adopt” a family go buy gifts for or a thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
Most churches have programs for these.
Salvation Army, soup kitchens( if they’re doing them because of covid-19) donate to toy drives, send Christmas cards to children in hospitals, angel trees.
There is a lot of different options!
Read one story where family would donate to organizations and place envelope on tree and family would open it up on Christmas Day
Please make cards for assisted living and nursing homes​:heart:
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You can make cards or pictures and just deliver to any front desk- make a few, make a bunch! They would be so grateful
We have an elf on the shelf. He helps us find things we no longer need, toys clothes etc… and on xmas eve we put it all under our tree for Santa to take to other kids who could use it. (We donate everything)
My daughter and I are making cards for a few nursing homes and for local EMT’s and firefighters in memory of her aunt.
Make cookies and deliver them to your local VFW or a veterans home.
You can call your local VFW or American legion ask to get in contact with the commander see if they do a cookie drive
Make personal care packs or cards for shelters.pick out a toy and drop it off at a women’s shelter.
Let them pick out toys to give, and let them pick out of about 3 charities to give it to.
Since my daughter was 2 or so we started purging her toys & clothes at birthdays & Christmas by having her choose which ones “to share with other kids”. It turned into her being excited to share with others because she gets to choose & doesn’t feel like anything is being taken from her. She now does it on her own whenever she gets something new.
My grandmother gave me and my sister several porcelain dolls over the years and we thought they were a little to creepy to be sitting on the shelf above our beds so we went with our girls scout troop and gave them to women in the nursing home. The look of joy on their faces was priceless. Some of them have no remaining family so having a doll for comfort helped them. we went back every year with teddy bears, stuffed animals, baked goods and we even sang them a few christmas carols
In addition to donating try Adopting a family/kid for Christmas through the Salvation Army or another organization. We’ve done it a few years (when we can afford it). My son really enjoys picking out toys for someone about his age, and I feel like he is starting to learn what it means to give without expecting any recognition.
We donate to St. Jude’s hospital. It was my mother’s favorite charity so every year on her birthday, Mother’s Day and Christmas, we donate her gift in her honor so she can Rest In Peace and we continue to give where she left off.
When my children were young, I had them pick out toys they wanted and then I took the children and the toys to a homeless shelter. When my children saw where these other children “lived” they gave the gifts willingly. At home, they asked so many questions … Where do they play? Do they all live in that one room? etc. It was a great learning experience for them. They asked to give after that, I never had to prod them.
We have picked names of an angel tree, made up gift bags for the food pantry themed for new years Eve snacks for kid. One year my middle kiddo knew of a child in her school who’s family was having a rough time so we shopped for the family and dropped off all the presents on their porch in a large santa bag late Christmas Eve
You can visit with someone at your local church or homeless shelter. Ask them what are the needs for a family or a few people. They will let you know and you can make a care package. I know a few places around me have put a list of items we can drop off. My son had fun picking out things for people in the past, especially for children’s items. Also you can check with your local school district. There are social workers that can get you in touch with an organization that would love help.
Make cards for the elderly in nursing homes or kids in hospitals. Donate gently used toys to charity. Make ornaments for their classmates. Make a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child.
Donate food or $$ to food pantries.
Make cards for a local nursing home.
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One lady bought flowers at the grocery and had her son give one to each lady that exited the store. I thought it was a great idea
It’s sweet to want to give back, but many places (soup kitchens, food banks etc…) don’t let kids start volunteering until 4-5
Chose a child from the Angel tree or another children’s charity. Let your child pick out a few toys or items to donate.
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Good idea is to give toys they no longer play with too, food donations too are always good x
Every year I had my daughter pick a toy for toys for tots.
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I have my son pick out food to donate. I include him in going through his clothes he’s outgrown or simply doesn’t wear, telling him why we’re doing it. Then I donate the clothes to the bins around my county and cities geared towards women and children rather than the Goodwill. Nothing against the Goodwill, but I feel like the bins ensure those who need the clothes get them.
We used to bake cookies for the nursing home residents, but not this year!
My kids go through their rooms and pick 10-15 things to donate and when we go grocery shopping they pick a few items to donate to the food bank
I make bags for kids that wouldn’t get toys otherwise and blessing bags for the homeless. Socks, used coat, gloves, pads, tampons, socks, $5 or $10. Mini shampoo, conditioner, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, snacks, and a water. Backpacks, or purses work best.
(Socks twice, ALWAYS needed)
Deployed service members love getting mail.
What I do every year right before Christmas is go through everything we have. Clothes, toys, furniture and other items we dont use or need and we donate to local families. One year a woman and her kids left her abuser. She got an apartment but had nothing. My kids know what it’s like to be homeless so they gladly gave them toys, movies, extra blankets and we had an extra mattress for their toddler. On a good year we also do the angel tree. One for a child and one for the elderly at the nursing home. The kids can help pick the gifts. We’ll donate to toys for tots too. We try to get two toys. One for a biy and one for a girl. The kids love it. Friends and family they can make cookies for. This year we’re donating canned goods to the local food pantry.
Send cards to an elderly facility.
I use to donate at a women’s shelter threw my church we would do Jesus loves me bingo with body wash etc for prizes . If you have a women’s shelter or even men shelter in your area they always need clothes , personal items, blankets , etc or they need volunteers at local soul kitchens but to get the small
One Involved you can make cards or bag up some scarfs hats mittens personal stuff and take it to your local shelter
You could contact your local DHR and see if there are any children that need sponsoring for Christmas
Have them pick a toy for someone on the Salvation Army tree
There is toys for tots. Call your local church or homeless shelter and ask to sponsor a family in need.
Make ornaments or cards for retirement homes
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Holiday cards, spend time working with animal rescues, donate food to pantries, i personally try to find a family I know is in need a picking out a few things for that family, gift baskets for elderly or needy people. Help out at a soup kitchen. Call around to local homeless shelters and animal shelters see what they need then have the kiddos help pick stuff out to donate some places will even take used toys/coats/boots/clothes/frozen meat.
Check out Samaritans purse operation Christmas child. You pack a shoe box for kids in need and they go all over the world at different age groups. So you can pick children at their age and take them shopping to get cheap little toys and other goodies. My 7 year old loves doing it. If you haven’t heard of it I pasted the link below so you can look into it 
Kids donate old clothes and toys. Help declutter and go through the rest of the house. Then make a big deal (to them not on social media) about donating.
Also sometimes stores will do promotions like get a gift card with purchas and we have the kids use the gift card to buy a toy and donate it.
My MIL usually volunteers at a soup kitchen (although not this year due to COVID) and we go and help.
The schools always do donation drives and we make sure the kids donate to those and know the importance of doing it.
We also make sure to have some ones and small bills so the kids can give the the Salvation army Santa’s on our way out of stores.
Do a reverse Advent Calendar. Each day add a none perishable food item to a box, to give to a needy family at Christmas.