Thanksgiving is next week and the holiday season is in full swing. Last week I shared about ways that my family tries to have a Christ-centered Christmas. So I’m sure it’s no surprise to you that service is one of the things we focus on during this time. All the world seems a little kinder at Christmastime and opportunities for service are all around us. Some of those opportunities to serve are small and simple, and some require a little more effort on our part. Over time I’ve learned it doesn’t matter if your service is small–it can still make a big impact. Today I’m sharing with you ways to serve this holiday season. I hope you’ll pin it for future reference and share with your friends and family!

ways to serve this holiday season

serve in your community

participate in operation Christmas child

This just so happens to be National Collection week for Operation Christmas Child. Our family loves participating! Operation Christmas Child is organized by Samaritan’s Purse. They collect shoe boxes full of gifts for children in need all over the world. It’s a wonderful cause and fun for the whole family to participate in together.

serve in your local food pantry

Here is a way that you can serve all year long. However, the holidays tend to bring in even more donations to food pantries and soup kitchens. That’s great, but it also means that sometimes the regular volunteers have a hard time keeping up with demand.  Give your local location a call and see how you can help.

help your neighbor

How easy is it to walk next door or across the street and help your neighbor? Yet we often go about our day with no more than a quick hello to our neighbors. Take your elderly neighbor their mail, walk the garbage cans back to the house for the single mom, have your kids rake the leaves for the couple next door. It’s so easy to do but can make a huge impact in someone’s day.

share some holiday cheer

Do you know a family who might not get a Christmas tree this year? Why not pick up a small one when you’re getting your own and drop it off anonymously. Surprising someone with a fresh wreath or beautiful poinsettia can help bring cheer to someone who might be struggling.

fill the kettles

My kids love dropping change in the kettles for the Salvation Army during the holidays. I keep spare change in the car so when we drive up to a bright red kettle my kids can drop some change in. This is another way to serve that is so easy for the little ones to participate in and they feel so special doing it!

pay it forward

Sometimes when you’re having a bad day it’s the little things that can turn it completely around. So why not do that for someone else? Next time you’re in line at the toll booth or drive though pay for the person in line behind you, who knows, maybe you’ll start a trend!

keep some “blessing bags” in your car

A blessing bag is just what it sounds like–a little bag that you can use to bless someone else’s life. Fill a couple of gallon sized plastic bags with a few snacks, a clean pair of socks, a new toothbrush, maybe a couple of dollars, etc. Then the next time you see someone who is going through a hard time on the street you can pass them a blessing bag instead of just passing them some cash.

volunteer your time

At a soup kitchen, at a convalescent home, anywhere that needs some helping hands. There are even service opportunities that you can do in your own home on your own time if that works better for you.

take a meal to someone in need

Call or text someone you know who needs a little help tell them you’re bringing them dinner. Don’t ask, the majority of people will tell you not to worry. After all, how often does someone say to you, “let me know if you need anything?” and then you never let them know, even if you do need something?? A freezer meal can be dropped off anytime and the recipient cane save it for a night when they really could use it!

serve in your home

give a gift that gives back

There are so many fabulous companies out there that have a commitment to giving back in their mission statement. As you’re doing your purchasing this holiday season consider buying from businesses that will donate to a good cause.

focus on family

Spend more time with family and less time on the things that don’t really matter. You only have so many Christmases to enjoy with your kids before they’re grown up and gone. Focus on the things that matter and try to make the busy holiday season slow down as much as possible.

shop small

Shopping small might seem like a strange way to serve but consider who you’re purchasing from when you’re shopping small. Oftentimes it’s a mother or father who is trying to help their family out while building their dream.

invite a friend to dinner

Do you know someone who will be away from family during this time of year? It’s hard to be alone during the holidays so invite them over to your home for a meal. I can pretty much guarantee they’re not going to mind the chaos of your busy home and will probably welcome the change of scenery with some loving friends. Be sure to send them home with plenty of leftovers too.

bake for someone

If you’re aware of any possible dietary restrictions then baking goodies for someone is an easy way to serve your friends and family during the holiday season. It’s fairly common to drop off a plate of festive cookies during this time of year. This is such an easy and delicious way to serve this holiday season!

serve with love this holiday season

follow a prompting

Have you ever randomly thought of something you should do for someone when you were in the middle of something else entirely? How often do you actually act upon those promptings? I have to admit–it used to be rare for me to do so. There have been several times in my life when I’ve been the recipient of someone else acting on a prompting. So that’s something I’m trying to be better about.

go above and beyond

Sometimes when we’re given a responsibility we do the bare minimum and serve with a grudge instead of a happy heart. Don’t feel guilty, we’ve all been there. But when we serve with love it’s easier to go above and beyond and be joyful about it.

choose kindness

Sometimes the best way that we can serve another person is being patient, loving, forgiving, slow to anger, inclusive–basically just being a kind human being. Smile at people, try to see their side of the situation. Whether they’re strangers or the people within our own family we should strive to choose kindness always. Don’t get discouraged because no one it perfect; trust me, this is something I’m working on.

pray for others by name

The past couple of months I have made a change to my prayers. Praying for people by name used to be a rare occurrence. Now I pray for people by name everyday. I pray for each of my children in the morning before we start the day, we also pray for family members and friends in our morning and evening prayers. I think there is a real difference in praying for people by name with love.

How do you perform acts of service during the holidays? Do you get your kids involved?

Not sure where to start when searching for ways to serve? justserve.org is a great resource that you can utilize right in your own home! Simply enter in your zip code and it will pull up all the available service opportunities in your area. As long as they’ve been entered into the website database.