by Christine Pesta
Thanksgiving is a pretty self-explanatory holiday. It is a time to gather, with family and friends, to enjoy the company of those in your life for whom you are thankful. It is also, in the spirit of the holiday, a time to give back.
There are many ways one might do it – below are a few suggestions if you would like to spend some time during Thanksgiving helping others as way of giving back (or giving thanks) for those times when someone helped you. You can give back to friends or to strangers. However, it doesn’t have to be people – you can help animals or the environment as well. It’s really all about leaving the planet a better place by lending a helping hand.
Host Thanksgiving Dinner
Just hosting the holiday dinner is one way. Not everybody can cook, some may not be able to afford to buy all of the food for the meal, and others – like older folks or super-busy parents – may not have the time or the energy. Throwing the party is a way of giving back by allowing everyone to relax and have an enjoyable day.
Create “Thank You” Coupons
Since Thanksgiving is a time when you get together with those closest to you, it will give you an opportunity to thank those who have helped and supported you and your efforts throughout the year. If you have not had an opportunity to thank them or return the favor they may have done for you, this is a fun way to pay them back.
By creating a little coupon book that gives the person who receives it a few ways they can turn to you when in need and you get to thank them for the kindness they extended toward you in the past.
Depending on who you’re giving it to, it could be a coupon for things like a night of babysitting, cooking a meal, mowing the lawn, or helping with homework.
Volunteer
One way to give thanks is by helping others as you may have been helped at one time or another. You can help serve dinners to those in need. You can even see if there is anyone among family, friends, and co-workers that might want to volunteer with you. It could become a “new tradition” for the holidays. You might also volunteer your time to help clean up after events like a Thanksgiving Day parade. Cleaning up parks and beaches is a nice way to give back to the community.
Donate
This goes hand-in-hand with volunteering. Sometimes our lives don’t give us the opportunity to volunteer. That doesn’t mean that we cannot donate to our favorite charity or cause. Maybe it’s simply writing a check, but it might also be donating food or clothing. Just remember, even if you can’t donate your time as a volunteer, there are so many other things you can give to help another.
Grow Food for Others
Do you have a green thumb? Are you good at gardening? If you have a garden or might like to volunteer at a community garden that helps to feed the hungry, you may have another way give back.
Donating any surplus of food you’ve grown in your garden, or working at a community garden that gives a portion of its bounty to the needy, helps in ways that some may not realize.
Rescue a Friend
Another way to show your appreciation for the kindnesses that you’ve been shown, is to help someone else in a difficult situation – a shelter animal. If you’d like to pay it forward by extending a helping hand to another, and have the means to take on the responsibility for another, then adopting a shelter animal is an excellent way to give back and share your good fortune. The bonus is that you gain a friend for life!
Saying, “thanks”, to someone is great, but being able to return the favor or help someone else out is even better. This holiday season, don’t just remember to give thanks, but think of others while you do so. Happy Holidays!
