Mother Teresa once said, “It’s not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving.”

The holiday season means spending time with family and friends, giving and receiving gifts and sitting down to break bread with the most important people in our lives. It’s also the time of year to focus on gratitude and giving back to others, especially those less fortunate.

Whether it’s volunteering time, performing random acts of kindness, making monetary donations or just extending kind words to others, giving can take on many forms. Here are a few ways of giving back this holiday season and into the New Year.

Donating Money

With so many worthy charities in the world, it’s tough to choose only one or two that deserve money the most. To help choose the right charity, consult websites like Guidestar and Charity Navigator. These online databases encourage charitable giving by providing transparent information on non-profits, such as mission statement, impact, reputation, and legitimacy.

A few examples of worthy organizations include the Conservation Fund, a charity that has worked tirelessly to help save over 7.8 million acres of land and water across the United States and the Starlight Children’s Foundation, a nonprofit that offers entertainment, education, and technology to chronically and terminally ill children. 

Many websites and companies now offer services that make small donations to a charity of your choosing just for shopping online. For example, Amazon Smile donates to a specific charity every time you shop using the URL smile.amazon.com. The Joy of Sox provides a new pair of socks to the homeless, the most rarely donated item, every time you purchase a new pair of socks.

If you have closets full of unused items collecting dust, but they aren’t on a charity wish list, considering selling the items on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist and use the extra money to donate to a worthy cause.

And finally, make use of all that spare change collected in tubs, jars, bowls and piggy banks. Take it to a bank or coin counting machine and donate the proceeds to a food bank or shelter. Don’t forget to involve the grandchildren to show the little ones the importance of giving this time of year.

Donating Items

People are generous in donating to soup kitchens and homeless shelters, but usually these acts of giving involve food. These organizations do much more than just feed people and need other household items just as much as cans of soup or boxes of pasta. The most sought-after items are usually toiletries like soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toilet paper and even feminine hygiene products.

School budgets are much tighter these days and many teachers use their own money to buy extra school supplies like pencils, books and arts and craft supplies. Stop by your closest elementary and middle school and ask if they need any donated items for class projects. Or, consider making a small monetary donation to the PTO, the organization responsible for funding events throughout the school.

Donating Time

Every organization, charity and non-profit could benefit from the helping hand of others. Few organizations will turn down the offer of free help, especially during the holidays. Stop by a local homeless shelter, food bank or clothing donation services like Goodwill and Salvation Army to give a few hours of your time. Consult websites or call your local shelter and food bank and ask how you can help during the holidays.

If you’re an animal lover, volunteer at a local shelter as a family. Often the dogs need to be walked or socialized and most places have a wish list of items like collars, beds or toys. Donate any of your unused items or pick up the needed goods at a pet store and give them as a donation.

Random Acts of Kindness

There are many small but amazing ways to give back to people in need without going through an organization. Visit a local store and offer to pay off items that strangers still have marked on layaway or anonymously leave a gift card for a local restaurant or grocery store for a co-worker who struggles to make ends meet.

You could bake cookies for the elderly and spend time at a nursing home, pay for the coffee for the person behind you in line, pick up litter around the neighborhood or just compliment a complete stranger. The list of ideas is absolutely endless. 

Charity does begin at home and the holidays are the perfect time to extend small or large acts of kindness and generosity to the community. Giving back not only benefits others but it also causes a ripple effect.

Happy Holidays!