Giving during the Holidays

Buy Holiday cards from America’s Second Harvest and help end Hunger
» America’s Second Harvest

Purchase unique Gifts That Make a Difference
» OneWorld U.S. Holiday Gift GuideFrom a bag of fair trade coffee to a water buffalo for a family in India, buy gifts that make a difference this holiday season!

Donate food, time, money (or all of the above) to an organization that helps those who are in needOne idea is to minimize family gift-giving and focus on donating time, gifts, money to those in need. Adopt a family in need during the holidays (and all year-round) – contact your local homeless shelters, religious organizations, department of family services, etc. to find out how you can help. Give food, clothing, school supplies and more. Get your entire family involved and make it a special holiday season by putting your energy and time into helping those who cannot help themselves.

Some local organizations here in the Washington, D.C. area:

» Capital Area Food Bank
» The Arlington Community Shelter
» Homestretch
» Martha’s Table

Spend time with the elderly
» The Holiday ProjectAs people get older, it becomes harder to do many things we may take for granted, from walking to the store to opening a new jar of peanut butter. Senior citizens living alone or in group homes can also get lonely and bored, especially if they don’t have family members nearby. As a volunteer, you can do a lot to help the older residents of your community.

Get help figuring out what to do
» VolunteerMatchIf you are not sure what to do, this is a great website that can help you, and it’s really easy to use too. VolunteerMatch is dedicated to helping everyone find a great place to volunteer. This site helps you customize your volunteer profile, and matches you up with a variety of opportunities.