The holiday season is an important time to think of others less fortunate than yourself. If you’re new to doing charity work, picking an organization can appear more complicated than you’d expect, so we’ve collected these 10 significant ways you can give back during the holiday season.
Dine-Out. Order takeout and delivery from all your favorite spots as well as the restaurants you’ve been meaning to try. Buy gift cards or merchandise. You can even consider catering for small household holiday gatherings.
Shop Local. Small businesses need our support this year more than ever. Order online, call in purchases or order online to pick up gifts curbside. Gift cards are an easy and popular way to support a local small business and please the people on your shopping list. This can include coffee shops, boutiques, personal services, restaurants, and other local businesses.
Donate Clothing. Donate your new and gently worn coats to children, families, veterans, and seniors. One Warm Coat has drop-off centers around the region. Make sure your coats are clean and wearable before donating them. Give a woman a new start with your gently-used clothing. Dress For Success provides support, professional attire and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. They are also asking for unopened makeup, especially foundation in darker shades, plus size black pants and blazers (sizes 14-24), and handbags. You can also drop your unwanted treasures off at Community Thrift and allocate your goods to MOWSF.
Donate Hygiene Essentials. Lava Mae teaches and funds organizations around the world to bring mobile showers and other services that promote well-being to people experiencing homelessness. You can donate hygiene essential items to stock the bus with hygiene products, host your own hygiene drive or collect donations at work or school, organize a hygiene kit packing party, and so much more. Project Homeless Connect is also taking In-Kind donations via a drive or directly from their Amazon Wishlist including backpacks, sleeping bags, electronics, hygiene items and socks. Purchase or sponsor warm fleece jackets, towel sets, and throw blankets, for seniors, veterans, and other adults at risk directly from the Episcopal Community Services Wishlist.
Foster Fido. Adopt or foster a four-legged friend this season of giving. Rocket Dog Rescue saves homeless and abandoned dogs across the Bay Area. You can also ask about donating blankets, pet food, and toys.
Donate Food. Food and Fund Drives can raise awareness about hunger and mobilize your community to provide food for neighbors in need. Every $1 donated now provides 6 healthy meals in San Francisco. They are taking limited volunteers as well as food donations. One way to support those who are facing food insecurity is to start your own Virtual Food Drive.
Donate Toys. Help bring the holiday spirit to patients and families of the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital by purchasing a gift from their Amazon wishlist. You may also donate directly to the Project Cheer Virtual Toy Drive is a crowdfunding campaign that raises money so our staff can buy exactly what patients want and the hospital needs. The Salvation Army Angel Tree is accepting donations online to provide new clothing and toys to more than one-million children in need each year.
Donate Time. Giving your time and energy to GLIDE programs is a great way to help those in need while forging personal connections within our community. Holiday Meals volunteer opportunities are live! Sign up to serve using their calendar. You can also help virtually by gathering a group of family, friends or colleagues and help GLIDE collect new items for care packages.
Get Crafty. You can send handmade scarves, hats, and greeting cards to Veterans, First Responders, and Wounded Heroes through Operation Gratitude. Make handmade cards to that will make seniors smile as you tap into your artistic side to make Cards for Seniors that Meals on Wheels will distribute (along with holiday meals) to lift the spirits of homebound and isolated seniors and adults with disabilities.
Say Thank You to Essentials Workers. Show kindness, tip big, write a thank you note, contact hospitals to provide snacks or meals, give gift cards and simply say Thank You.
Whatever you do to give back this holiday season, make sure it has an impact!
Image credit: Rocket Dog Rescue on Facebook
San Francisco Luxury Apartment Rentals
Efficient, engaged, and fully wired for seamless access to everything you need – this is the NEMA
approach to San Francisco's tech-savvy lifestyle. NEMA is a next generation luxury residential community at the forefront of San Francisco’s dynamic Mid-Market neighborhood renaissance. Find your San Francisco apartment at NEMA. Get social with us and follow our story on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram. Use #NEMAsf to share with our team.