Volunteering around the holidays has become a tradition for some. Whether it’s ringing the Salvation Army bell outside your local grocery store, donating gifts to Toys for Tots or offering to serve food at the shelter, families come together around the holidays to do their part for those in need. It’s amazing to see what us humans can accomplish when we put our neighbors first.
These volunteering opportunities are of course important but we need to remember people in need are not in need only around the holidays. It’s understandable as a society we generally start to feel more generous around the holidays, but a homeless person or a struggling family doesn’t suddenly need help because the calendar flipped to November. It isn’t difficult to find opportunities all year-round for places that need help supporting those in need. Just call your local Salvation Army any time and they can point you in the right direction.
There are lessons for the next generation here too. If you take your kids with you when you volunteer to show them the true meaning of helping those in need, don’t display it for the world to see. Taking pictures with your family to commemorate the time you all worked together as a family is completely fine. But if you have to post your generosity on social media, one must ask, who are really doing it for? And furthermore, what are your kids being taught when they watch mom or dad snap pictures of the day only to post them on social media with the caption, “taught my kids what the holidays are all about today?” Perhaps use that platform to remind others there are volunteering opportunities out there, maybe post a couple links to help people find them. All this can be done without posting your own pat on the back.
If you have the urge to help those who need it around the holidays, then by all means, that’s exactly what you should do. And of course, your children should be a part of it too. But think twice before posting your good deeds all over social media, and please keep in mind, a person in need, isn’t just in need two months of the year. The same organizations you go through around the holidays also have programs and volunteer opportunities year-round.
Giving what you can when you can is a beautiful thing. Whether it’s around the holidays, all year-round or whenever you happen to cross the path of someone in need. Just remember there are real, living human beings on the other side of that generosity who deserve not just our help but our respect and discretion as well. And remember, a good deed never really goes unnoticed. There will always be someone who appreciates what you do, and theirs is the only appreciation that should matter.
