1. Donate gently used clothes
Lets face it, kids grow so fast that sometimes their closet can’t even keep up with them. This winter, think about families who are in need and donate your childs old winter jackets, hats, mittens or snow boots to families with smaller children or local second hand stores. You and your child can go through their closet and find older articles of clothing that may be snug and donate them.
2. Toy Recycle
Not only are winter clothing items a popular item to donate during the Holidays, but toys are as well. Consider having your child weed through their toys they don’t play with any more. If your child has trouble giving up toys, remind them that there are children less fortunate than themselves who would love to play with some of your child’s older toys. Second-hand stores are a great place to begin, or think about donating them to a local daycare.
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| Flick Creative Commons: Photo by davidd |
3. Give Back to a Local Animal Shelter
We enjoy supporting local, so we want to suggest reaching out to an animal shelter in your community. If your child is an animal lover, have them get crafty and create fleece tie blankets for the animal shelter. If you have an animal at home and have leftover bags of unwanted food, make sure you bring those into the shelter as well. If you are looking for more donation ideas, animal shelters usually have a list of needs on their websites.
4. Operation Give
Have kids create their ideal stocking and donate it to the Operation Give Stocking Campaign. This program helps soldiers overseas receive stockings while they are away on duty. According to their web page, typical things that are put into these stockings are toothbrushes, reading books, candy or cookies, sunscreen, etc. Don’t be afraid to think outside their ideas and create some more personal gift items, or have your child write a letter to thank them for their service!
5. Bake for Community Service People
Let your child know that not everyone is able to be home during the Holidays. Firefighters, law enforcement officers and EMTs still serve and protect the community, even on Christmas Day. Have your children bake and decorate cookies for these departments. Wrap them up and have them deliver these tasty treats themselves to see the good work they put forward in action.
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| Flickr Creative Commons: Photo by Erik (Hash) Hersman |
Here at Meadow Farms we know that donating and volunteering are two important factors that keep a community strong. Start your family on track to be an active giver in your community this holiday season with one (or more!) of these ideas.
