25 Ways to Give Back This Holiday Season

karuppec
Nov 13, 2024
4 min read

The holiday season is a beautiful time for gathering, celebrating, and, most importantly, giving back. Volunteering with local nonprofits can brighten the season for those in need. Here’s a detailed guide on 25 nonprofits and how you can make a difference during the holidays by creating Thanksgiving baskets, sponsoring families, donating warm clothes, and more.

1. A Wider Circle

Website: A Wider Circle
How to Help: Join their Good Karma Holiday Program by donating toys, games, and gift cards ($25-$50) for families in need. Volunteers can also help sort, wrap, and prepare holiday gifts for distribution to local families.

2. Shepherd’s Table

Website: Shepherd’s Table
How to Help: Serve holiday meals, donate winter coats, hats, and gloves, or prepare casseroles to supplement their pantry. Volunteers can sign up to serve special holiday meals to bring warmth to those experiencing homelessness.

3. Rainbow Community Development Center

Website: Rainbow Community Development Center
How to Help: Donate food items and gift baskets for Thanksgiving meals. Sponsor a family’s holiday meal, volunteer to wrap gifts, and assist with meal or gift distribution.

4. Toys for Tots

Website: Toys for Tots
How to Help: Organize a toy drive, donate new, unwrapped toys for children, or volunteer at local collection sites to sort and prepare toys for distribution.

5. Rotary Club’s Winter Warm-Up

Website: Rotary Club Winter Warm-Up
How to Help: Donate warm winter coats, scarves, gloves, and blankets. Many clubs also organize “adopt-a-family” programs, allowing you to provide holiday gifts and food to families in need.

6. Manna Food Center

Website: Manna Food Center
How to Help: Prepare and donate Thanksgiving baskets filled with turkey, stuffing, canned vegetables, and cranberry sauce, or volunteer to assemble and distribute holiday food packages to families in need.

7. Meals on Wheels

Website: Meals on Wheels
How to Help: Deliver holiday meals to seniors, provide small gift packages or holiday cards, and volunteer to prepare meals in their kitchen during the holiday season.

8. Salvation Army Angel Tree Program

Website: Salvation Army Angel Tree
How to Help: Choose an angel tag from a tree at a local store and purchase the items on their wish list. Volunteers can also help sort and distribute gifts to children and seniors in need.

9. Habitat for Humanity

Website: Habitat for Humanity
How to Help: Volunteer for a build day to help families achieve affordable housing or donate essential household items and holiday decorations to families moving into new homes for the holidays.

10. Montgomery County Volunteer Center

Website: Montgomery County Volunteer Center
How to Help: Use their holiday volunteer database to find local opportunities, including gift-wrapping events, holiday meal service, and toy drives.

11. CM Rocks Foundation

Website: CM Rocks Foundation
How to Help: Create Thanksgiving baskets with holiday foods for local families in need, including turkey, stuffing, and pies. Volunteers can assist with distributing these baskets during the holiday season.

12. Silver Spring Cares

Website: Silver Spring Cares
How to Help: Participate in holiday gift drives, sponsor a family for holiday meals, and volunteer to wrap gifts or sort donations for distribution to partner nonprofits.

13. Montgomery County Food Bank

Website: Montgomery County Food Bank
How to Help: Assemble Thanksgiving baskets with non-perishable items like canned veggies, cranberry sauce, and stuffing, or volunteer to organize and distribute holiday food donations.

14. Brookside Gardens

Website: Brookside Gardens Volunteer
How to Help: Volunteer at their “Garden of Lights” event, assisting with event setup, greeting guests, and helping families enjoy a festive holiday experience.

15. VolunteerMatch

Website: VolunteerMatch Silver Spring
How to Help: Find holiday opportunities, such as serving meals, helping at holiday events, or sorting donations for local nonprofits in your community.

16. Food & Friends

Website: Food & Friends
How to Help: Volunteer to help prepare meals or deliver food and holiday treats to individuals with serious illnesses. Donations of holiday cards, small gifts, and personal care items are also welcome.

17. Operation Warm

Website: Operation Warm
How to Help: Donate new coats for children in need, helping them stay warm during the winter. You can also volunteer to distribute coats at local events.

18. Interfaith Works

Website: Interfaith Works
How to Help: Donate holiday gift items, warm clothing, and food, or volunteer to help sort, wrap, and distribute holiday gifts for low-income families.

19. Silver Spring Food Project

Website: Silver Spring Food Project
How to Help: Participate in neighborhood food collections and donate non-perishable items. Volunteers can also help organize food drives or distribute collected items to local food banks.

20. Notes of Love

Website: Notes of Love
How to Help: Write and donate uplifting holiday cards or letters to seniors and hospital patients to bring cheer. Volunteers can also assemble small care packages with personal care items.

21. Warm Up America

Website: Warm Up America
How to Help: Knit or crochet blankets, scarves, and hats, and donate them to those in need to stay warm through winter. This is a wonderful project to take on as a family or group.

22. Montgomery Housing Partnership (MHP)

Website: MHP Holiday Toy Drive
How to Help: Donate toys, books, and games for children or volunteer to help wrap and distribute holiday gifts.

23. Community Bridges

Website: Community Bridges
How to Help: Sponsor a family by providing holiday meals and gifts, or volunteer to help wrap and distribute gifts for families in need.

24. Humane Rescue Alliance

Website: Humane Rescue Alliance
How to Help: Donate pet supplies like blankets, toys, and food, or volunteer to foster an animal during the holidays, providing them with a temporary, loving home.

25. Warm Blankets & Supplies Drive by Local Churches

How to Help: Many churches organize holiday drives for warm clothing and blankets. Donate items like coats, scarves, gloves, and blankets or sponsor a family, helping ensure a warmer winter season for local families.

Whether it’s preparing a Thanksgiving basket, donating warm clothing, or creating holiday cards, each act of kindness spreads warmth and joy. Let’s come together to make this holiday season brighter for all. By reaching out to help others, we can ensure that everyone has a warmer, happier season.

We’d love to hear from you! If there are other wonderful organizations where you volunteer or contribute during the holidays, please share them with us. Together, we can build a growing list of ways to give back and inspire others to spread kindness in our community.