It’s that time of the year again. There’s a nip in the air, and your heart is filled with joy. You can’t wait to spend the holidays with your family and friends. While the threat of the pandemic is still there, you can find ways to enjoy a socially distanced gathering with your loved ones.
But the holidays aren’t all about gorging on festive delicacies and spending time with your loved ones. It’s also the season of giving back to the community. It’s the time to think about people who’re less fortunate than you and fill their lives with happiness.
The good thing is that you don’t have to spend a fortune to embrace the spirit of giving. Simple gestures, such as buying coffee for a homeless man, can go a long way to spread cheer during the holidays.
And if you’ve got a car, you’ll never run out of ways to help the needy. In this blog, we’ve shortlisted a few easy ways to use your car for the season of giving.
Let’s take a look.
Run Errands
You don’t need a six-figure bank balance to give a smile during the holiday season. If your car is in proper working condition, you can use it to run errands for other people.
Seniors, immunocompromised individuals, and people with chronic ailments might be skeptical about going outdoors during the pandemic. You can volunteer to run errands for such people. Whether they need medicines and groceries or want to send gifts to a relative, you can use your car to help them.
Of course, it’s difficult to get strangers to trust you with their errands. So, a good starting point is to look for people within your social circles who could use your help. Use social media to spread the word about your initiative. Don’t forget to ask your friends to refer your services to their contacts.
Share the Gift of Time
Have you ever wondered how people in nursing homes and senior living facilities spend the holidays? Many of them don’t have the liberty to go home and spend time with their families. They yearn for the company of their loved ones.
You can’t replace the warmth and comfort of a blood relative or long-time friend. But you can do your bit to make these people feel less lonely during the festivities.
All you have to do is drive to a nearby nursing home or assisted living facility. If you can encourage your friends, partner, or kids to accompany you, nothing like it. Bring gifts for the residents, listen to their stories, and watch their faces radiate the brightest smiles.
If you can’t afford to buy gifts for everyone, bring a home cooked meal or handmade baked goodies. A hand-knitted scarf could also do the trick. Most residents in these places crave things that have a touch of home.
You could spend an entire day at one facility or hop across multiple nursing homes. If you’re in the mood for a long drive or road trip, consider visiting a facility in a neighboring city.
Deliver Food
Good food is one of the highlights of the holiday season. Don’t you look forward to a scrumptious Christmas feast throughout the year? Roasted potatoes, glazed carrots, apple pie – the thought of these foods will make you drool.
But there are so many people who don’t have the means to cook a hearty holiday meal. You can add some cheer to their lives by delivering food to their doorstep.
The easiest way is to join an established program like Meals on Wheels to deliver food to seniors. You have to sign-up as a volunteer on the organization’s official website.
If you enjoy cooking and feeding people, you could also consider delivering home cooked food in and around your neighborhood. It’s an excellent way to get your family involved in the initiative. You can even invite volunteers from the local community.
Spread the word on Facebook and Instagram. Ask your friends whether they’d like to gift a meal to a loved one.
Donate to a Local Shelter
It’s one of the easiest ways to give back to the community during the holidays. Find homeless shelters, orphanages, and non-profit organizations that are accepting donations. Drive to these places and hand over your belongings to the residents.
You can donate a wide variety of items, from old clothes, jewelry, and shoes to books and household appliances. Instead of hoarding these things in the attic or basement, you can use them to make someone smile. On the plus side, you also get to declutter your home and achieve some much-needed peace during the holidays.
Organize a Donation Drive
You can partner with a local shelter or charity to host a donation drive for clothes, toys, shoes, and other essentials. Drive around your neighborhood to distribute flyers to the residents and generate awareness about your initiative. Use your garage as the drop-off location to collect items from donors.
Donate Your Car
Do you have an old car that’s been parked in the garage for months? Instead of selling it for a meager sum, consider donating it to a non-profit organization.
They could use the vehicle to take sick people to the hospital or deliver meals to the elderly. Also, volunteers could use the car to run errands and fetch essential supplies for the needy.
The best part is that you get to enjoy a tax deduction. And it saves you the trouble of finding a trustworthy buyer for your car.
Kindness Doesn’t Have a Price Tag
Giving back during the holidays isn’t about grand gestures. Instead, it’s small acts of kindness, like delivering a warm meal to the elderly or donating clothes to an orphanage, that make a difference. The key is to recognize your privilege and experience the joy of helping the less fortunate.
Do you plan to use your car to host donation drives or visit local charities this holiday season? Visit a DK/ALON gas station to give your car some TLC before heading out.