Prepare for Thanksgiving; Give Time and Resources Locally

Are you ready for Thanksgiving and the joy that it will bring to your family? Will you participate in giving some of that joy to others?

Is this the year that you’re going to get out in the community and start to give back or have you created a tradition with your family of giving back to those less fortunate than you? Are you showing your team that you appreciate them? Has your company contributed to local organizations that offer support to those that need it?

Reminders of Thanksgiving

Giving thanks for the joys and blessings we have is important to our mental and spiritual health. This is the time of year when many of us try to think of others and find a way to help in our local communities. Whether you can give your time or some of your resources, there are always people who will be grateful to receive a few blessings from you. Here are some great ideas for helping in different ways.

Your Family Can Give Back

Is your family active in the community? Do you show an example to your kids of how you can give to those who are in need? Choose from these different ideas to prepare your mind and heart for Thanksgiving this year.

• Join a Food Drive

• Sponsor a Family’s Meal

• Give the Gift of Giving

• Host a Friendsgiving to Benefit Others

• Get Your Kids Involved

• Spread the Word

You and your family can go door to door and collect nonperishable food from neighbors. You could sponsor a meal by donating the amount of money it will take to pay for the meal for a needy family. Give to the United Way on Giving Tuesday with the gift of giving. Get your kids involved in helping to stamp out poverty and hunger through actions and spread the word to allow others to give who might not be sure how they want to give back this year.

Your Small Business Can Give Back this Thanksgiving

If you own a small business with a few employees and you want to work together to help the community, there are some great ways you can do this. You don’t have to simply give an amount of money and might not have it in your budget to do so, but you can gather with your employees and find a way to make a difference. Here are some great ideas for your business:

• Clean Out Your Closets –Donate the clothing, blankets, books, toys, and other items you’re not using any longer

• Adopt a Family –When you and your employees bond together to adopt a family for Thanksgiving and possibly for Christmas, you can give a holiday experience to people who might not have one otherwise

• Donate Expertise and Time –You have talents that you’ve turned into a business, use these talents, and your resources to help those who can use help getting on their feet. One way to do this could be to teach courses in your industry.

• Volunteer Together at a Food Pantry or Soup Kitchen –Close up the shop and head to the food pantry or soup kitchen to bond with those in need and together as a team. You’ll come away with warm hearts and a feeling of gratitude.

Thank Your Team This Year

You probably do thank your team regularly, but the holidays are a special time and putting together some activities that show your gratitude can make a huge difference in the morale of your team this year. Make Thanksgiving special with these ideas:

• Sponsor a potluck

• Organize a team outing

• Coordinate a “Turkey Trot”

• Say Thank You

• Encourage Healthy Holiday Eating

• Let them leave early

• Sponsor a donation drive

• Throw a Party

• Recognize hard work

• Relax

Help the Hungry and Make a Difference

Hunger is one of the most damning challenges we face in our country. With the resources and excesses we have in America it seems that no one should ever go hungry, but they do. You can make a difference and fight hunger this time of year and all year long with a few great ideas. Here are some ways you can make a difference in the fight against hunger:

• Donate to your local food bank

• Participate in a charity-sponsored race

• Deliver Thanksgiving meals

• Volunteer

• Feed the hungry via technology

Just Make a Difference

When we give, we also receive. What we receive when we give of ourselves is the good feeling that we’ve done something right and helped someone in need. Make your Thanksgiving the best one this year and help someone else have an amazing holiday as well by donating some of your time or resources.