One great way to make a difference this winter season is to give back to local charities and non-profit organizations. It is important to make sure that the charity you are interested in is legitimate and reputable. You can research organizations on sites such as Charity Navigator or Charity Watch, independent, non-profit evaluators that rate organizations for their actual delivery on charitable missions and financial accountability. Of course, there are many nonprofit organizations in the North Dallas Corridor you can donate to as well, such as Metrocrest Services, WaterTower Theatre, the Addison Arbor Foundation, Operation Kindness and so many more. There are many ways to give back to local organizations this season. Read on for some ideas on what you can do.
Donate Money
The most common way of giving back to organizations is donating money or cash. Look around at organizations nearby like food pantries, animal shelters, thrift stores, homeless shelters, etc. and give what you can. You don’t have to give a lot – every little bit helps. Also, if you want to donate some money every so often, many organizations will take monthly donations as well. Some stores such as grocery or pet stores will also have donation bins or options to donate on the pin pad at checkout.
Donate Skills
Sometimes, donating your skills is even more helpful than donating money. Organizations need many things to stay make a difference. For example, if you’re good at knitting or crocheting, make some scarves, socks, gloves, and blankets to give to people in need. If you like numbers or are an accountant, offer to file an organizations taxes for free. If you are an animal photographer, volunteer to take pictures of animals at a shelter to help them get adopted. You’d be surprised at all the ways you can help charities with your talents and skills.
Donate Items
One great thing to do after the holidays and receiving all those wonderful presents is to go through your closets and storage spaces and pull-out stuff you don’t want or need anymore and donate it to a charity. If you have some extra cans or boxes of food, take them to a food pantry. If you have some clothes that aren’t your style anymore, take them to a thrift store. Many libraries will accept book donations and animal shelters will take old sheets, blankets, and towels to use in their kennels. Anything you have will be greatly appreciated.
Donate Time
With the pandemic, one of the areas that local non-profit organizations are really struggling is manpower. Volunteering is a great way to support them during this difficult time. Organizations have implemented new health and safety procedures in response to the pandemic. If you are not comfortable volunteering inside a building, see if they are volunteer opportunities outdoors such as planting trees, picking up trash in parks and streets, or going on a charity run. If you are a business owner, consider setting up an event for employees to volunteer together. Whatever you do will be a blessing to your community.
