One of the best ways to spread holiday cheer is through the gift of giving. Here are some nearby holiday helping opportunities to partake in this holiday season, no matter what you celebrate.
The Holiday Project website explains that it is a “national nonprofit organization comprised of thousands of volunteers who visit with people spending Thanksgiving, Chanukah, and other holidays confined to hospitals, nursing homes, and other institutions.” Volunteering as part of The Holiday Project allows you to bring a holiday celebration to people who may not otherwise experience traditional holiday festivities. In addition to paying a visit, you can also craft/buy and donate greeting cards to be handed out during the holidays.
Chances are, you have seen the signature Toys for Tots white cardboard box depicting a red railway train in your elementary, middle, and high school buildings before. Facilitated by the United States Marine Corps, Toys For Tots is a program that gives gifts to children whose parents are unable to purchase them. You can either donate money online or go out, buy a toy in person, and drop it off physically in a collection box. Schools of all levels in Loudoun County tend to put up collection boxes near the front of the building throughout the season.
Holiday Fun(draiser) Run
If you want to improve your own fitness while bettering the lives of others, a holiday fun run/ fundraiser could be perfect for you. Two of these upcoming fun runs are the Winter Wonderland 5k and 10k in McLean and the Snow Dash 5k and 10k in Annandale. The Winter Wonderland race benefits the nonprofit Girls on the Run Northern Virginia, which empowers girls through physical activity. The Snow Dash race supports K-9 Caring Angels Therapy and Service Dogs, a foundation that trains dogs to provide psychiatric service for veterans with PTSD and other disabilities. These events are only two of many options of nearby holiday-themed fun runs that support the greater good.
St. James Alternative Gift Fair
This event takes place December 8, 2024 at the St. James’ Episcopal Church in Leesburg. Here, you can make a donation to one of the attending charities (A Farm Less Ordinary, Arts for All, Crossroads Jobs, Educando Con Amor, Grace to Go, Loudoun Free Clinic, Loudoun Hunger Relief, Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy, Mobile Hope, St. James’ Preschool, The Arc of Loudoun, and Serenity House) and receive a beautifully decorated card in exchange, which you can then keep and display or give to a friend or family member.
Salvation Army Red Kettle
During the holiday season, you probably come across a number of red buckets accompanied by someone ringing a bell, usually outside grocery stores such as Giant and Safeway. These red kettles are a part of the Salvation Army’s initiative to support families in need during the holiday season. You can be a part of the mission by volunteering to be a bell-ringer at a local grocery store or by doing something as simple as dropping a dollar or two into the next red kettle you see. According to the Salvation Army website, “The donations we collect during the holiday season not only help us provide gifts to children who would otherwise go without, but they also help us provide food, shelter, and utility assistance to those who need it most every day of the year.”
Another program sponsored by Salvation Army, Angel Trees, in collaboration with Walmart, aims to give clothing and toys to needy children. Children who are recognized as “Angels” can make a wish list for donors to shop. To donate to an Angel, you can stop by a nearby Walmart (or donate online) and pick a tag off of the Angel Tree located in the store. The donated gifts will then be distributed on Christmas morning, giving the less privileged children a happy holiday.
Gift a family with NVFS Holiday Giving
Similar to the Angel Trees program, the Northern Virginia Family Service Gifting for Families campaign accepts donations of money, toys, and gift cards to give to children and their families throughout Northern Virginia. They provide an Amazon wish list to guide your donations, which makes this giving opportunity super easy and convenient.
Give to/volunteer at an animal shelter
People are not the only ones who deserve a happy and healthy holiday season. Animal shelters are busy all year round, but especially during the holiday season, shelters get swamped and the animals they house tend to experience the effects of this. During the winter holidays, there is a dramatic uptick in the amount of animals that are put down. To help minimize the stress and number of euthanizations in shelters during this time, you can volunteer in a number of different shelter positions, donate money, food, toys, and other resources, and consider adopting or fostering animals from these shelters. A new pet may be the perfect addition to your family this holiday season; as they say: The more the merrier.