10 Easy Ways to Give Back this Holiday

Your everyday actions and everyday dollars can go further than you think! This Thanksgiving as we count our own blessings, check out these 10 easy ways to give back to others this holiday season:

1. Shop till you drop on Black Friday and pick up some Toys for Tots while you’re out. Donation drop spots are located all over town. Since 15% of the area’s families are below the poverty line, there are more than enough Tots in need of your generous gift.
2. Take a run in the So Others Might Eat (SOME) 12th Annual Thanksgiving Day Trot for Hunger. Thanksgiving morning at 9 AM. Pre-registration required.
3. Pair toys and gifts with needy kids through the Salvation Army “Angel Tree” program. Various duties and dates are available for your volunteer time in the District, Alexandria, Fairfax, Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties. You can also sign up your office for a giving tree with Salvation Army.
4. Order your holiday greens and heather (e.g. wreaths) from Alexandria’s charitable Campagna Center, an organization proving a variety of social services to Alexandria’s disadvantaged children and families.
5. Participate in Wreaths Across America and lay a wreath at a fallen soldier’s grave at Arlington National Cemetery (or other location) Saturday, December 14^th.
6. Your youthful spirit can bring a holiday smile to older residents of local nursing homes and institutions through The Holiday Project. Make Hanukah or Christmas visits this season.
7. Do your shopping at this year’s Alternative Gift Fairs in Takoma Park or DC, or Arlington. Buy gift-worthy items such as “annual immunizations for a homeless animal” or “one month’s supply of formula for orphaned infant”.
8. Buy your Christmas Tree in Mt. Vernon Triangle this year and you’ll be contributing to the DC Firefighter’s Burn Foundation.
9. Provide warmth and comfort to needy families with Wider Circle, an organization which provides basic living essentials such as mattresses, dining tables, blankets, linens, housewares and more, as well as jobs and life skills training. 
10. Score big with your pet loving friends by checking out all the ways you can donate to Homeward Trails. You love their super cute 2014 Calendar, or wait for the Washington Capital version coming December 3^rd. Buy a Bark Box, take a Pet Photo with Santa, and more.