Do Good, Give Back: 5 Volunteering Ideas for the Holidays

By Kylie Smith | November 10, 2021

Look good, feel good, do good. At bareMinerals, we believe in looking your best, feeling good in your skin and doing good for your community. Volunteering is a great means of connecting with neighbors and make a difference in the lives of others — and there’s no better time than the holidays to express gratitude and give back. Kids can also benefit greatly when “spreading holiday cheer” goes from an idea to an action. Since giving can take a lot of different forms, we’ve compiled a list of places you can start, based on your interests. 

Help alleviate food insecurity

In 2020, 38.3 million people in the United States lived in food-insecure households.* Families lacking in consistent access to enough food often rely on organizations such as soup kitchens and food pantries. Whether you volunteer at a food bank, donate non-perishables to a shelter, make lunches for the unhoused, participate in a meal delivery service to seniors or write to a lawmaker about legislative bills that support people experiencing food insecurity, you’re putting in the work, and helping your neighbors put food on the table this holiday season. 

Relieve the economic effects of Covid-19

We’re all aware that the economy is still suffering from the pandemic’s long-term effects. Consider shopping with small businesses that are still trying to recoup losses from closures, and reaching out to local non-profits and churches to see what you can do to help. Additionally, try donating blood, writing a thank you letter to a frontline or essential worker or volunteering at a vaccine center.

Promote education

bareMinerals is committed to transforming lives through education. Our education partners, Room to Read and Girls Who Code, aim to empower women and girls by supporting gender equality in literacy and learning. To empower members of your own community through education, try volunteering at your local library, hosting a book drive, starting a Little Free Library in your neighborhood or helping English language learners practice with in-person or virtual conversation.

Give back virtually

Nowadays, you don’t even have to leave home to give back. Whether you have 10 minutes or a few hours, you can find the time to volunteer from your computer or phone. Donate to a non-profit organization that you love, sign a petition for a cause that you support, or write a letter or birthday card to a hospital patient or senior citizen. 

Encourage sustainability

If you already practice some level of eco-consciousness at home, you might be ready to take your environmental stewardship to the next level. Going green as a community is a great way to improve your neighborhood and bring people together. Think about starting a newsletter with recipes that make vegetables the focus, picking up trash on your next walk, jump starting a neighborhood compost program, voting for the planet in local elections, collecting old electronics to recycle or organizing a clothing swap. Not only will you be helping the environment, but you have the opportunity to show others how to integrate “going green” into their lives.

*Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Kylie Smith

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