Lucy Reflects

10 Ways You and Your Kids Can Give Back During the Holiday Season

The holiday season if officially upon us and there’s no better time to teach your kids how to give back. I’ve highlighted a few places that you and your kids can volunteer or donate to during the holidays that are appropriate for all ages. Whether it’s making cards for kids in the hospital or putting together a care package for local veterans, together we can help make the holiday season a little better for our community.

Donations to Veterans’ Victory House: The Veterans’ Victory House is located at 105 East King Street and provides housing to veterans experiencing homelessness. The Victory House not only provides housing, they also work with vets to help them obtain a permanent residence. But they are always in need of donated items. This is an opportunity for you and the kids to put together a care package of personal hygiene items, backpacks, towels, dish sets, and more and deliver it to the house’s lobby. For a complete list of items currently needed, visit https://www.tlclancaster.org/giving-vvh.

Blankets to Humane League: Have some old sheets and blankets stashed in the closet? Gather them up and donate them to the Humane League, who uses them for the animals’ beds. This is a super easy way to give back and takes just a tad of effort. For a complete list of other donations needed and more information, visit https://humanepa.org/.

Visit Residents at a Nursing Home: When Whitney and I did the Birthday Project, we took our kids to Luther Acres to hang out with the residents. What we saw was nothing short of awesome - the residents and the kids bonding and enjoying time together. Many other nursing homes allow these visits, so make a few calls and find one you and your little ones can hang at for the afternoon. Trust me, the residents will love it … and so will you. And if you want to make it a little more special, take them a flower or handmade craft.

Prepare a Dinner for Atlas: The Atlas Initiative is a great opportunity for families to get involved and make and serve a dinner together. Whitney and I loved this event when we made a dinner for about a dozen guests. The Atlas Initiative uses person-centered planning and circles of support to help motivated, low-income individuals and families achieve their goals. Visit the link below to read more about how about the program and how you can volunteer at https://www.caplanc.org/Atlas.

Shop at the Alternative Gift Fair. Head to the Farm and Home Center for the Gifts the Give Hope Fair on Dec. 8 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., where you and your kiddos can choose from over 30 non-profits to donate to and give as a gift to someone in their name. Each donation includes an attractive card and explanation of the donation that can be given as gifts during the holidays. You’ll also enjoy food vendors, fair-trade marketplace, kids’ activities and more. Not only is this a great way to give back, it’s also a lot fun to attend! For more information, visit http://giftsthatgivehope.org/lancaster.

Cards For Hospitalized Kids: Next time you sit down to color with your kids, think about making cards for www.cardsforhospitalizedkids.com. The website gives instructions on what kind of cards to make, where they go and what they need. All you have to do is send the cards in the mail and they distribute them.

Package Christmas Dinners for Project for the Needy: A couple of years ago, I forced my son Max to attend this event and we ended up having a really great time together. This is for all ages and volunteers meet at Clipper Stadium at 5 a.m. on Dec. 22 to help package turkey dinner boxes for those in need. There’s no need to register, just show up ready to help. For more information, check out their Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/Lancaster-County-Project-for-the-Needy-LCPN-198958910181340/

Pediatric Congenital Heart Association – PA: This organization is near and dear to Whitney and I, as we both serve on the board. PCHA-PA provides care packages to kids in the hospital fighting congenital heart disease. We’re currently in need of crayons, coloring books, new wash clothes, travel packs of tissues, books, and small stuffed animals. Find out where you can drop off these items by messaging us on Facebook or emailing us at pcha.pa@conqueringchd.org. For more information on who we are, visit http://conqueringchd.org/pennsylvania/.

Power Packs Project: We all have way too many plastic bags shoved in a closet or under the sink, so why not take a few hours with the kiddos and roll them up and donate them to Power Packs? Power Packs in a remarkable organization, who provides food items, recipes, and meal ideas to families for the weekends. Its goal is to make sure low-income students and their families are getting the food they need over the weekend when they aren’t getting free meals at school. For more information on Power Packs, visit https://www.powerpacksproject.org/volunteer/.

Volunteer at the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank: Kids 12 and older can volunteer to help sort and package donations at the Central PA Food Bank, but if your kiddos are a little younger, why not put together a box of food to donate and drop off? As we approach the holidays, donated food items are needed more than ever. Check out the website for volunteer opportunities or to see what items they need. Did you know the food bank distributes more than 48 MILLION POUNDS OF FOOD A YEAR? That’s a lot of hungry people. For more information on how to volunteer or donate, visit http://www.centralpafoodbank.org.

What are some of your favorite non-profits? Where do you like to donate?