Giving back is a crucial component in recovery. 12 step programs greatly value it, and it’s the perfect way to get out of ourselves, and give back this holiday season. For a lot of people the Holidays are filled with parties, dinners, and gifts exchanged, but for some it is not as enjoyable.
For these people there may be various situations over the holidays, involving family and friends, that are either unsafe, intolerable, or unhealthy for a person to be around.
The holidays are also our trademark time for giving. But the reason for the season can get overshadowed by the pressure to consume, for yourself and others. If you want to cut back on spending, giving back to the community can be a rewarding substitute for excess shopping and spending. Here are five charitable activities that can bring abundance to your family this year:
Food banks distribute food to families and various organizations that serve people in need. A charitable activity that your family and friends can rally around is collecting items from the community for a local food bank. You can facilitate your own food drive or gather cash and food donations to contribute to a food drive run by another organization.
If you don't have cash to spare for donations, you can donate your time, which is just as valuable. Volunteer at a homeless shelter or women and children's shelters in food prep or meal service. Visiting a shelter to meet the people you serve one-on-one can be a gratifying experience for the entire family. You can search this directory of homeless shelters near you.
If you don't have cash to spare for donations, you can donate your time, which is just as valuable. Volunteer at a homeless shelter or women and children's shelters in food prep or meal service. Visiting a shelter to meet the people you serve one-on-one can be a gratifying experience for the entire family. You can search this directory of homeless shelters near you.
Local religious and charitable groups will gather personal information from families who need sponsorship, including their clothing sizes and holiday wish lists. Then you can choose one of the families to sponsor.
Instead of adopting a family for the holidays, you can donate to Toys for Tots. Toys for Tots is a program created by the U.S. Marines that collects and distributes new, unwrapped toys to families who can't afford gifts.
No matter how you decide to donate your time, money or belongings, turning your family's focus from exchanging gifts to giving back can help you cut down on excess spending. If money is tight this year, knowing that you're giving the gift of joy to others through service can be just as fulfilling, if not more so.
