Giving Back To Your Community

During the holiday season, businesses, charitable organizations, and individuals tend to raise awareness of their particular causes. This is a wonderful time of year to give to charities, but contributing what you can is just as important during the other eleven months. Even on a tight budget, there are some great ways to give back to your local community throughout the year.

Participate in a charity walk, run, or ride. Events that involve physical activity are great ways to raise money and awareness while bringing together communities. Some well-known local events include the Avon Walk To End Breast Cancer, The St. Jude Thanks and Giving Campaign, and Tom Brady’s Best Buddies Challenge. Your town may also have smaller races focused on local organizations, families in need, or neighbors battling an illness. If breaking a sweat isn’t for you, though, you can help prep for these events instead.

Volunteer your time at local soup kitchens or food pantries like The Greater Boston Food Bank. Organizations like these generally run on volunteer services and need help year round. You can help in many ways, including stocking shelves, picking up donations, or assisting clients with their food shopping. This is a no-cost, feel-good way to see the difference you can make.

Catching Joy is a locally based organization that puts together activities that kids can participate in to help them experience the joy of giving. Having your child give or make something special for a little girl or boy in can be a very rewarding experience.

There are several ways to support Boston Children’s Hospital any time of year, including an array of volunteer opportunities. Check out their website to see how you can give back.

A helpful resource that lets you search for volunteering programs is www.bostoncares.org. You can search by day, city, or organization, and find programs for your kids or for the whole family.

Of course, there are organizations that need extra help during the holiday season. Every year, I try to donate to two of my favorites, Toys for Tots and the Pine Street Inn.

These are only a few of the ways you can make a difference. Do you have a special way to give back to your community? Let us know!