Five Ways to Give Back This Holiday Season

This Thanksgiving you can do more to help your children understand what it means to be thankful for what they have, and to give back to those less fortunate. Make a pledge this year to do more than just going around the table listing what each person is thankful for and to help your family get involved in the community for the holidays.  When children learn at a young age how simple and gratifying it can be to help others, they begin to value community, social support and kindness.

Things to consider before you volunteer:

• Give a gift that you would want. Quality of donations is important because they’re given to people who we want to feel dignified.
• Understand needs. Check in advance to see if a nonprofit has a specific need or wish list.
• Plan ahead.  It’s a good idea to call ahead before you arrive to drop off items or to volunteer. Organizations need and appreciate advance notice so they can plan for storage or volunteer staffing needs.
• Be flexible. You may not be able to get the exact volunteer shift or opportunity that you were hoping for, but there are many ways to contribute. This may mean signing up for a January shift or taking on a volunteer job you may not have envisioned.
• Avoid overdoing it on holiday-specific items. Not everyone celebrates the same holidays or has the same preferences. Some donors may want to consider giving gifts that are not holiday specific. For example, if you’re donating canned food items, stick to traditional food staples such as canned meat, canned fruits and vegetables and other high-protein, low-sugar foods.
• Be mindful throughout the year. The holidays are a great time to give back and to make a habit of volunteering or donating throughout the year.

Local Family-Friendly Volunteer Opportunities:

Toy drives - Thousands of children in Lane County are at risk of going without a toy during the holidays. You and your family can help change this by participating in Toys for Tots’ holiday toy drive. The drive is collecting toys for all ages, babies to 13 years old. But the greatest need is toys for those 0 to 2 and 9 to 13 years old. New and unwrapped toys can be dropped off at Bi-Mart stores, fire stations and police stations.

Make blankets for the homeless – If you are the crafty type, this is a great way for your family to give some warmth this season. A very easy way to do this is to go to your closest craft and fabric store and purchase some fleece material. You will need about 2 yards per blanket, so take your children with you and let them help you pick some different patterns or prints that will go well together for the reverse sides of the blanket. Chose the 2 fleece fabrics your family wants to make into the first blanket and lay them flat with the fuzzier, warmer sides facing out.  Cut out a rectangle at each corner, and then cut 1 inch-wide strips about 2 1/5 inches deep into the flat fabrics down all sides of the blanket. Next, let your children help you tie together the top and bottom layers, tying the strips from either side together all around the blanket and flattening the fabric as you go along. This is great motor skills practice! When you are finished you will have a warm gift to give to those less fortunate that your whole family helped create. Make as many as you can or want! Blankets for the homeless can be delivered to: Eugene Mission, St. Vincent De Paul and First Place Family Center.

Plant a tree - Take a chance to give back to Mother Nature, too! Friends of Trees has many volunteer opportunities year round, and Saturday December 7^th is neighborhood planting day in South Eugene. All ages are welcome and it is a great chance to teach your children the importance of respecting and helping nature. They provide breakfast treats before planting begins at 9:00am, as well as a potluck volunteer lunch afterwards! Dress your kiddos for the weather and get outside together.

Pajama Drive - Nothing beats waking up in new, warm pajamas on a holiday morning. Your family can give that feeling to other children by donating new pajamas to Pajamas for Metropolitan Affordable Housing. Take your children to the store and let them pick out some nice, warm pajamas that they would like to have for the holidays, then talk to them about giving those PJs to a child who may not have any. One option is to buy 2 of the same pair, one for your child and one to donate, so the kids feel like they are helping a certain “pajama buddy” their same size, or you can simply explain to your kids that your family is being caring and thoughtful by purchasing these pajamas for someone else only. All sizes are needed for children of all ages, birth to 18 years, who will receive these pajamas as gifts at a holiday party next month. Donations can be dropped off until Dec. 10^th at the following locations:  Willakenzie Crossing 3057 Willakenzie, Eugene; Prairie View N. Danebo, Eugene; Westtown on 8^th W. 8^th Ave, Eugene; The Villages 2755 E. Lone Oak Lp Way, Eugene; Woodleaf Villages 3545 Kinsrow Ave, Eugene; The Park at Emerald Village 1950 N. 2^nd Ave, Springfield.

Volunteer at a Holiday Dinner – There is always room for more help at community holiday dinners and events. Several different free and community meals are offered over the next several weeks, and the majority of them welcome help and volunteers of all ages to help with preparation, serving, and clean up of meals.  Let your children have a hand in giving meals to others, even if they just help set tables. Kids will appreciate their holiday meals at home so much more when they realize it is a privilege not everyone receives.  These volunteer positions fill fast, so be sure to call ahead to make sure volunteers are still needed. Some holiday meals around town include: Whiteaker Free Community Thanksgiving Dinner, First Baptist Church in Cottage Grove ((541) 942-8242) and St. Vincent De Paul’s Holiday Food Boxes ((541) 689-6747).

Giving back as a family during the holiday season can be as simple or complex as you want it to be. The most important part is that children participate and feel both responsible and rewarded for helping others. Values that they learn through volunteerism and charity will stick with them as they grow, and they will see that we all need a little extra warmth and kindness around the holidays.