10 Easy Ways to Give to your Community this Holiday Season
Once you’ve shopped the Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and every-day-in-between deals to find the best gifts for friends and family, there still are plenty of fun, easy ways to check your community off the holiday giving list.
Feel great about helping others this holiday season and get your family and friends in on the fun too!
1. Volunteer to prepare and serve meals to veterans and homeless at a United Way partner agency.
2. Buy books for a child in need and help them learn and enjoy reading. Research shows that having books at home makes a huge difference in school readiness and 3rd grade reading levels – a key indicator of academic success.
3. Do you shop on Amazon? Sign up and shop through Amazon Smile and Amazon will donate .5% of your purchase to the charity of your choice.
4. United Way partner agency Gregg House hosts activity nights where families can play a life-size board game! Volunteer with your family and friends to help create a life-size game to play with children and youth at a United Way partner agency in your community.
Candy Land night at Gregg House!
5. Gather friends or colleagues to make fleece blankets for foster children and homeless. (Don’t worry if you’re not crafty, we’ll help you!)
6. The cost of heat and utilities continues to rise. Help make sure families and children stay warm this winter by donating toward United Way’s Family Fund that helps with fuel assistance.
7. The cost of a Thanksgiving meal to a family of 4 at our Thanksgiving Project this year was $40. Donate to help feed a struggling family.
8. Tax season is coming up! United Way needs more people to volunteer for our tax prep program in communities across the region. Last year, the program helped return $10 million to our neediest families. Training starts in January!
9. Do you have killer interview skills? Volunteer at one of our financial stability centers to help clients with mock interviews and resume writing.
10. Spread the word. Did you volunteer with us already this year? Talk about your experience with friends and family and post a #unselfie to share the great work you’re doing!
If you are interested in any of these volunteer opportunities, email kkerrigan@unitedwaymassbay.org to schedule.
You can also make a donation to United Way and help local families this holiday season.