There’s no better time to give back than the holiday season! 

While there are year-round opportunities to volunteer, there’s something about the holiday season that lends itself especially well to getting out and doing good. After all, this is the time of year to spread good cheer, gather in gratitude with family and community, and spend some time volunteering with the organizations you most admire. 

Read on for a bit more from Bluebird about how to approach your volunteer opportunities this holiday season. 

Volunteer opportunities

The first step to figuring out what volunteer opportunities you want to participate in this holiday season is, well, figuring out what you like to do! But more importantly, what lights your fire to support good change in the world. Are you a lover of dogs? Consider checking in with an animal shelter. Many of their volunteer walkers and cuddlers may be out for the holidays, so extra hands are often extremely appreciated and utilized. Passionate about cooking? Ask your local soup kitchen or homeless shelter if they need help preparing or serving meals. You can even extend your network and consider organizing a trip with family or friends to help somewhere in need. After all, when it comes to doing good for your community, there is always strength in numbers. 

You can accomplish great things when you work together. Bluebird Botanicals’ staff made a trip with our friends from Conscious Alliance to the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota at the end of November to help distribute meals to families living there during some of the most challenging months of the year. 

Check in with your local hospital, school or college, or favorite non-profit to inquire about needs within your community. They will be able to steer you in the right direction if you need assistance.

Getting started

There’s no better place to look for volunteer opportunities than in your own neighborhood. There are nationwide organizations like 4-H and Feeding America that have local branches throughout the country you can link up with. Local non-profits may be running toy drives or fundraisers for families, and they may need delivery drivers, help sorting toys, and wrapping gifts. The options are limitless. You can also visit VolunteerMatch and search for volunteer opportunities by topic and by zip code.

Volunteering with friends and family can be a great holiday bonding activity - and even become a new tradition. We also want to stress that volunteer organizations receive the most support during the holiday season but need more help at other times of the year. So get out there and start a year-long adventure of happy volunteering this holiday season! 

We’d love to hear about how you plan to contribute to your community this season. Leave a comment below to add to our list of ideas. Thank you for all the good that you do.