Donate Toys to Santa Before Christmas

A little twist on donating toys, gather up toys before Christmas so that families have access to them for the holiday.  I read that shelters, Goodwill, and agencies wish people would donate gently used toys prior to the holidays instead of after in the January-clean-out frenzy.  We send toys, clothes, books that we no longer use to “Santa”  for other boys and girls to have before Christmas. Not only did doing this declutter our home a bit before the holidays, but it will bring joy to others. It also offers a great lesson on giving for my daughter that is as creative as it is fulfilling.

I love this idea to have your littles decorate cards to send to the people who go above and beyond serving the community. Whether it’s the local firehouse or police department, grab their address next time you drive by and send them some snail mail. I can guarantee it will bring joy to them. Maybe even bake some cookies and drop them off personally.

Send Holiday Cards to a Nursing Home

Callie and I have an yearly tradition of visiting our local nursing home for the holidays.  Unfortunately, not all of the residents of nursing homes have people visiting them for the holidays. They might love to know someone is thinking about them and honestly relish the interaction with people (especially younger kids). Let your little ones write and decorate cards for those in nursing homes. They can even include their own artwork, stickers, or whatever they think will bring someone else joy.  Extra sprinkle of joy if you can hand deliver them to the residents!

Buy Gifts for a Family at the Ronald McDonald House

Ronald McDonald House is an amazing organization that provides support, overnight accommodations, and essential resources to families who travel far from home for the medical care their child needs.  We spent a few nights in the local Ronald McDonald House in the first few days after Callie’s birth and it has a special place in our hearts.  Call your local Ronald McDonald House and see how many families are staying there during the holidays, I know that any thoughtful gift will go a long way for these families navigating a holiday season within the hospital.

Donate to an Animal Shelter

The holiday season is the perfect time to make a difference for homeless pets in your community. Simple gifts (a bag of food, toys or a few gently used blankets) are cherished at animal shelters.

Your gift will go a long way, too. Not only will it spread holiday cheer to the animals, it will help support the shelter’s staff and volunteers as they work to give pets the ultimate gift — a home.

I highly recommend sticking with “go-to” items. Shelter wish lists usually include plenty of items needed every day at shelters. Consider the following “go-to” gifts because you’ll never go wrong donating them to a shelter: cleaning supplies like paper towels, liquid bleach, spray bottles and disinfecting wipes.

Not what you had in mind for a holiday gift? Fair enough. How about a bag of dog or cat treats? Kong toys (or any unstuffed fabric toys), cat trees, scratching posts, towels and cozy blankets also make great gifts for shelters.  We love donating cat litter, blankets and towels too.