As the holidays roll around, it becomes harder for those struggling to make their paycheck last until the next one. Seeing people during this time who can spend hundreds of dollars on sale shopping, be spoiled with Christmas gifts and go to holiday parties is not exactly fun to watch when you do not have the same opportunities.
Many programs are available to those in need, especially during the holiday season. According to CNBC News, items most commonly bought during the season have increased by 7.7-10% each year. The pricing of eggs has increased the most at a stunning 43%. If you are privileged enough to not have to worry about being able to buy needs for your family, consider using leftover money to donate.
Donating to a holiday food drive near you can make the biggest difference. Food drive organizers prefer donors to donate non-perishable food, such as pasta, canned items and rice. These items can be found in your pantry but if you really want to go the extra mile, going out and spending money on bigger amounts of those will also work. They prefer non-perishable items because sometimes pantries run out of freezer/fridge space and without that, certain items will expire very quickly and be a waste of money. Some food drives near the Omaha area are The Salvation Army Pantry, Food Bank for the Heartland and Project Hope Pantry. Many churches nearby your area are most likely to have food banks because they fulfill their obligation to help the community.
If you want to participate more, volunteering is a great way to give to substandard communities. Volunteering has been declining all across the country, so spending a couple of hours a week helping to organize food pantries, clothing sites and soup kitchens will make a huge difference. Volunteering is also crucial because 28 schools in the United States require students to do some type of volunteer work to graduate. Not to mention, colleges love volunteer work because it shows that prospective students care about their communities and have a passion for fixing civic issues, which shows that they will be engaged on campus by potentially creating new clubs, attending events for non-profits, and participating in community service.
To help those struggling feel included, food drives host free Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. You also can choose to take a box home and cook Thanksgiving dinner there. This is done so organizations can truly give back because that is what the season is about. Not only that but they are turning a day that could’ve been depressing and full of guilt for someone because they aren’t able to provide for themselves to a day full of happiness and gratefulness. In 2022, one in five families in America wasn’t able to afford Thanksgiving dinner.
Sadly, Thanksgiving dinner is not the only holiday where people struggle. After Thanksgiving, kids make their Christmas list hoping they will get something from it. Some parents aren’t able to budget for that, especially because prices inflate a ton during the month of Christmas due to lots of demand. Newsweek.com says that 34% of Americans are skipping the gifting part of Christmas this year because of a lack of financial stability. This can make children feel sad and excluded, especially when they go back to school hearing about and seeing all of the new gifts their friends got. Some of them try to hide the fact that their family isn’t able to afford anything.
Churches and non-profit organizations release Christmas lists of what kids have asked for each year. Some churches have a system where they will give out cards with a child’s age and gender and give them to church followers who are willing to buy gifts for those kids. Organizations most likely have a section on their website where you can donate however much money you please and they will use that money to purchase items off of kids’ Christmas lists. If you are in the area of an organization that does that, you will also have the ability to drop off toys at a nearby location.
No matter what someone’s financial or living situation is, they should always be able to celebrate holidays without feeling guilt or anxiety. Helping out by donating and volunteering can make the biggest difference to an impoverished family.
