Love to give? Maybe you should give your love

Christmas has a special place in all of our hearts, it's a time for family, a time for friends, a time for love and a time for giving. It’s a chance for you, your family, community, company, and/or organization to give something more. But there’s no need to limit the giving to one day, we’re in a whole season of giving!

Here are 4 ways to give - and they cost zero dollars.

Give something you already have
Rummage through your cabinets and donate dry goods to a food bank. Ditto for your bookcases. Find some books and share them with a shelter, a school in need, or even a friend collecting stuff for a fundraising yard sale. Box up some old coats, clothes and blankets and bring them to a homeless shelter. Bring old towels or blankets to an animal rescue, or donate blood.

Make something
Bake some cookies and deliver to your neighbors or coworkers. If you are particularly gifted in couponing, gather up some free stuff and fill stockings. Donate them to a food bank or other program for holiday giving.

Do something
Run an errand for someone. Smile at a stranger. Give a genuine compliment. Spread good news. Volunteer at a children’s hospital, nursing home, or anywhere you think another human being could use a smiling face.

Write a letter/make a phone call
Leave a nice note on someone’s windshield. Even if you don’t know them. Call a friend or loved one you haven’t spoken to in a long time - especially if it’s someone you’re at odds with. Send an email to someone who has greatly impacted your life (and may not know it).

Bonus: And if you have a little money to throw around
Give a generous tip, whether you’re at the coffee shop, out to eat, or your often-unseen postal worker. Pay someone’s bill anonymously. Sign up for a sporting event that gives to a good cause. Bring some pet food or toys to a local animal shelter. Buy a gift certificate for massage for a person close to you and your family.

Giving doesn’t have to be a huge, elaborate and grand event. Sometimes the smallest things make the biggest splash. As a massage therapist, I know that sometimes it’s not the hands-on work that is most helpful to a client. Often it’s just being seen and heard and cared for that makes all the difference in the world.

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