By Holly Kennedy of Sterilite Corporation
As the holidays approach, my thoughts turn to how grateful I am for the things I have and the opportunities I’ve been afforded. I feel very lucky. It’s these thoughts that make me wonder what I can do to show my thanks. Here are just a few of the things I came up with!
Volunteer
One of the greatest ways you can help others is by volunteering your time. I volunteer for dinner service at my local soup kitchen, and I find getting to know the people I’m helping so rewarding. Being there for the community during the holiday season is even more important to me as I plan my visit with family around our dining room table. If volunteering sounds like something you’d like to do, seek out an area soup kitchen and find out if they could use a hand cooking or serving dinners. Foodpantries.org is a great resource for finding organizations in your area.
Organize a Food Drive
It can be a large project, but by running a food drive, you have the opportunity to help a greater number of people in your community. One of my fondest work memories was the day some coworkers and I went to organize donated food at the local food drive. It was a fun bonding experience on top of being a great way to help the community. If you’d like to run a food drive, be sure to work with your local food bank to determine what food items are appropriate and what timing works best. You may be able to lend your efforts to an existing drive to make an even bigger impact. Visit this link for more information on organizing a food drive.
Monetary Donations and Fundraisers
If you’re able, a monetary donation to your local food pantry, soup kitchen or homeless shelter may be the best way that you can show your gratitude. Feeding America is a great organization that accepts monetary donations to provide food to American families in need.
You could even organize a fundraiser and donate the funds collected. Put the call out to family and friends – they may already be wondering what they can do to help others this time of year! I myself found a fundraiser organized by my favorite television chef while researching this post, and I will be donating to his cause this holiday season. Visit this link to learn more about starting a personal fundraiser.
Create a Care Package
Do you know a local family in need? When you’re out grocery shopping, think about what they might need this holiday. Consider buying double and putting the extras together for that neighbor in need.
I decided to create three care packages to donate to families in Sterilite’s own backyard. I included shelf stable staples like green beans and stuffing mix, as well as some hearty root vegetables like butternut squash. I included three Sterilite Divided Dish containers in each to make packing up leftovers easy for the recipients, and I packed it all up inside clear storage containers to make delivery simple.
I contacted a local organization that collects and distributes food for local families in need for help with getting my care packages into the hands of some families that can really use them.
While we can’t always do as much as we’d like to, doing something feels right and is how I choose to give back this time of year. I hope that you will be inspired by these ideas and I wish you and yours a wonderful holiday season and a happy and healthy new year!
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