As the saying goes, ‘tis the season to be jolly. For many of us, that means bringing out the decorations, sipping some eggnog and singing carols around the fire. However, for others, the holidays can be stressful or lonely or simply a reminder of the things that they lack. For those of you that have the good fortune of feeling that holiday joy, why not spread it around and make the season a little brighter for someone else? Fortunately, there are no shortage of ways that you can make a difference and FirstLantic has some suggestions to help you get started!

 

Sponsor a family

What if you did not have the money to buy even the most modest of gifts for your loved ones? What if your children or grandchildren didn’t have any presents under the tree? For many less fortunate families, that can often be the reality. A great way to share your good fortune is to sponsor a family for the holiday by buying them gifts or inviting them to have a meal with you. If you can’t afford to do it on your own, you can ask friends or relatives to contribute and do it all together.

 

Volunteer

There are so many opportunities to give back to others by volunteering your time. You could offer to serve dinner to homeless vets, go visit a children’s hospital, foster an animal or work at a shelter for a few hours. And If you know someone that is alone during the holidays, invite them to lunch or to a movie. The point is that sharing your time and your heart are a guaranteed way to lift other’s spirits as well as your own.

 

Give gifts that give back

Use your buying power to help someone else. More than ever before, companies are supporting charities by donating a percentage of sales. For example, if you buy a pair of glasses from Warby Parker, or socks from Bombos, they will give a pair to someone in need. And, if you buy anything or everything from Amazon (I know free shipping is hard to pass up), you can actually get them to give back as well. Simply go to smile.amazon.com, choose a charity, and a contribution will be made every time you buy something.

 

So, whether you give of your time or buy something to give something, you will feel better knowing that you are helping others. While one person cannot solve all of the world’s problems, each of us can make a small difference. If you even make one person happier, then you have found the true meaning of the holiday season – “it is better to give than to receive”.

 

For more information on ways to help:

 

http://www.createthegood.org/articles/holidaycheer

https://www.volunteermatch.org

https://www.childrensfoundation.org/what-we-do/adopt-a-family

https://soldiersangels.org/adopt-a-family.html

https://www.petfinder.com/animal-shelters-and-rescues/fostering-dogs/before-you-foster/

 

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