The season for giving 🤲🏾
As a child, my favorite part of the Christmas season was always receiving gifts. I would make my list extra early, circle what I wanted in the Christmas catalogs (I know, catalogs. Crazy, right?), and visit Toys-R-Us just to show my mom the things I wanted. It was what every kid did. We wanted things! We knew no one expected us to give actual gifts, so we just asked for what we wanted.
Now, as a 24-year-old, the tables have turned, and we’re suddenly expected to give gifts to our people! Personally, I appreciate giving gifts more than I do receiving. Instead of writing lists to give to other people, I write myself a list of items to get for other people now. Instead of making a trip to Toys-R-Us for myself to my mom’s benefit (R.I.P. Geoffrey 🦒), I go out window-shopping to see what I want to give my loved ones. And while they don’t really make catalogs anymore for browsing, I DO browse online to see what I can find for my loved ones. It’s fun to me now, and it’s something that comes easily to me, thanks to my mother.
Growing up, my mother always made sure my brother and I knew how blessed we were and that other people were not as fortunate as us. While we knew we didn’t have it all or what other people may have had, she made sure we knew we were blessed, and she always found time to sign us up for volunteer activities where we gave back to the less fortunate in some way or form. We constantly gave back to the unhoused, donated old clothes and toys, and we even made meals for the hungry every so often. She instilled the spirit of giving back in us while we were young, and to this day, it has still stuck with me.
Every winter, I still find time to make baskets for the less fortunate. When I can, I give money to those in need. And when I get paid, I make sure to leave a few dollars nearby in case I see someone who could use them more than I can. But it’s always been something about the winter season that just makes me feel like giving back more than usual. Maybe it’s the freezing cold weather that makes me think about the unhoused, or the time I spend with my family that makes me feel for those who aren’t close with their families. Whatever it is, it puts me in the mindset to give back.
And since it’s winter, and I’ve been in my “giving back” bag, I’m hoping to inspire you twenty-somethings to start giving this season as well, and I don’t just mean physically. I challenge you to do some giving this year OUTSIDE of your normal gift-giving. You see, it doesn’t matter if you didn’t do the volunteering or giving back when you were younger. The best part about becoming an adult is that you’re now able to create your own traditions. So I challenge you to start your own winter tradition this season. Don’t worry that it’s December. You can give back all season long! And what better time to start a new tradition than at the end of the year/beginning of a new year!
Here are some great ways to give back this holiday season, that don’t take much! 🤲🏾 (S/O to GivePulse for this amazing list!)
Donate items to your local shelter – Donating clothes, shoes, toys, furniture, books, and essential items like soap and toothpaste is a great way to give back during the holidays. Take a couple of hours to go through your closets and uncover the hidden gems you are ready to part with.
Donate toys to a local toy drive – Reduce waste while giving children gifts during the holiday season by donating toys.
Donate old textbooks – Textbooks. We all know how hard they are to find used and how expensive they are to buy new. Donating textbooks helps students further their education without shouldering the burden of another added expense. Consider donating your textbooks to places like Goodwill, Salvation Army, or your local thrift store.
Donate your skillset – A skill you have might be a skill someone would love to learn but doesn’t have access to. Your expertise could also be used to assist someone in need with a project. Donating your time and skills to teach something you are passionate about or help someone in need will have a lasting impact on everyone involved.
Donate services to a local homeless shelter – People living at homeless shelters are often in the process of navigating the complexities of job searches, setting up a bank account, filling out lease applications, and more. Offer to lend a hand with the process however you can – interview preparation, resume writing and review, walking them through application processes can be immensely helpful.
Leave positive reviews for your favorite local shops- Sharing a positive review on Yelp or Google Reviews means the world to small businesses. It helps them to gain new customers, and lets them know that they’re doing their best to retain current clientele. Let them know how much you love their products or services by leaving a stellar review that will be sure to have people heading their way.
Get to know your community – If you are interested in community engagement but don’t know where to start, or maybe are new to your area, consider offering to shovel neighbors’ driveways, rake leaves, mow the grass, or even help set up outdoor decorations.
Pay it forward – Next time you’re in line getting a coffee (not at Starbies btw), offer to pay for the order of the person in the car behind you. You never know how much this will impact their day, and more often than not, your simple action will keep on giving.
Create a giving tree – Giving trees not only support children and families, they can also bring your community together. Call a local shelter and ask if there are any families in need. Write what the family needs on cards and hang the cards on a tree at your local gym, office, or library for the community to donate items. This event can be held in person or virtually. To learn how to create your own giving tree event click here.
Write nice notes for your colleagues, classmates, roommates, and neighbors – This super fast, affordable, and thoughtful idea will bring happy tears to the eyes of your loved ones.
If you’re unable to donate or physically unable to give back, I’d suggest finding a fun or new way to spend time with your loved ones. If you’re in the DMV area, here are some fun ideas:
Watkins Regional Park Festival of Lights
Since some of the ideas on that are a bit more costly, I am sharing some ideas that don’t require money, or are cheaper:
Making gingerbread houses
Decorating the Christmas tree
Driving around to see Christmas decorations
Painting holiday pictures
Making hot chocolate together
Watching a Christmas movie (movie marathons are a plus!)
Playing Christmas music on a drive around town
I hope this post inspired you to do some giving back this season! Comment below what you’re going to do to give back this year! What new tradition are you going to start?Merry Christmas my loves! 🎄
Love,Mia, the twenty something ♡
Song of the day 🎵