The Season to Give Back

We are one week away from Thanksgiving and right behind Thanksgiving is Christmas.  I think we can all admit that this time of year is a time of excess.  We eat too much, we may drink too much and we definitely spend too much.

So with all of that, I think it is great to balance everything out with giving back.  And I don't mean just by giving money.

For me, these are some of my favorite ways to give back during the holidays:

• Coat Drives- I don't know about you but I have way more coats than I can ever wear.  Plus my son grows out of his weekly (I kid you not).  I like to find local coat drives and donate our old coats.  I can't think of anything worse than having your child be without a warm coat in the winter.
• Food Drives- Hunger is something I have never experienced because I am lucky enough to be able to be food whenever I want it.  But for a lot of Americans, that is not the reality.  Take come time and clean out your pantry.  Donate that extra food.  Next time you go to the grocery store, buy some extra pasta, canned foods or crackers.  Donate that food.  No one should go hungry.
• Toy Drives- The Toys for Tots drive is the most popular but there are hundreds of these drives across the country.  I really like this one because I take my son to the store and I let him pick out the toy.  I want him to understand how important it is to give back and this is a great way to do it.
• Money- If you have extra and you can spare it, the monetary donations are always appreciated. For most shelters and charitable organizations, this monetary gift allows them to stay up and running.

These are just a couple of examples.  Remember that giving back is always a good idea and instilling that belief in our children is really important, especially at this time of year.

How do you give back?