7 ways to give back in Houston during the holiday season

From volunteering to donations, these seven Houston charities and nonprofits help you give back to those facing hardship in our community during the holidays.

Houston has always been known as a city with a big heart. When Hurricane Harvey devastated our city, it was neighbors and nonprofits who stepped in to provide food, shelter, and necessities to those who were struggling.

Life goes on, but for many, struggles have not eased. The holidays can be especially difficult for those who are wondering where their next meal is coming from, how they will buy gifts for their children, or whether they will spend the holidays in the hospital this year.

But Houstonians always step up, and there are many, many ways to get involved from one end of the city to the other. Aside from church programs and special local events with volunteer components, Houston also has city-wide programs that make a huge difference in the lives of many.

Here are seven city-wide ways to give back in Houston during the holiday season.

1. ABC13’s Share Your Holidays Food Drive

When: Dec. 1-3

The Share Your Holidays Food Drive, now in its 45th year, benefits the Houston Food Bank. There are several ways you can get involved in the first days of December, but every way leads to helping those with food insecurity and making sure basic needs are met.

It all starts by gathering non-perishable food items for donation. Once you’ve collected the items, you can drop them in one of the local Red Barrels around town, or call the nearest Food Bank partner between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. to schedule a time to have your box picked up.

You may choose to get in the spirit by donating food during ABC13’s live event Dec. 2. TV anchors, volunteers, performers, and contests make for a lively drive that will warm your heart and help you loosen your purse strings.

Those who prefer to give of their time can volunteer to answer the phones for the Share Your Holidays Phone Bank. You’ll register clients to receive holiday food boxes and help tens of thousands of Houstonians access food during the holidays. Spanish speakers are especially needed to man the phones, and volunteers must be 16 or older. Click here to sign up.

And if you prefer to make a donation that will directly impact families in the community, you can text “SYH2025” to 71777 or make a gift online.

2. Second Servings

When: Ongoing throughout the holidays

Filling stomachs is crucial year-round, and now there’s a way to feed families across Houston while honoring your loved ones.

Second Servings, Houston’s only perishable food rescue organization, partners with restaurants and catering services to provide fruits, vegetables, and other fresh foods so often missing from donations. They also significantly reduce food waste—a win-win for the city.

This holiday, Second Servings gives you an opportunity to donate to their cause, but with a twist. They encourage givers to think about a family member who has hosted them over the holidays and make a donation in their honor. That family member will receive a special note to let them know that the gift made in their honor will fight food disparity and waste and make a difference to a family in need.

3. Toys for Tots

When: Mid to late December, depending on location

Run by the Marine Corps Reserve, Toys for Tots has locations throughout Houston, bringing holiday cheer to local children. It also means that you can get involved no matter where you live. Volunteers for Toys for Tots do everything from organizing their local drive to sorting tens of thousands of donated toys by age group, and that’s all before the event dates.

When Toys for Tots opens to invited participants, volunteers, young and old, dress as elves and spread good cheer to families in need, who come to fill shopping bags with family Christmas presents they could not afford otherwise. Emotions can run high, and joy is plentiful knowing that each family will have presents under the tree this year.

4. Angel Tree

When: Check the website for dates when each tree will be ready

The Salvation Army can always be counted on to meet the community’s needs, and the beloved Angel Tree drive that takes place each Christmas is a great example of that.

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of selecting an angel from a tree—each angel represents a child who, without you, wouldn’t have much to open on Christmas morning. The joy of shopping for that child, crossing items off his or her list, and delivering the gifts to the tree might warm your heart more than any other holiday activity.

Feel free to select more than one angel or to visit angel trees in various areas of Houston to help children in communities outside your own. Just know that whoever receives your gifts will forever think of you as their angel.

5. Donate blood

When: Daily, at multiple sites around Houston

It’s definitely not the first thing you think of when you think of the holiday season, but it’s a huge need during this time of year.

That’s because these months bring increased illness for the compromised at a time when holiday travel takes many regular blood donors out of town. The need for blood continues just the same, so the holidays are a great time to step up and make a difference.

Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center is your portal for finding the closest blood donation center and scheduling an appointment. The process couldn’t be easier—just choose your slot, take a seat, and leave with a few treats. And the best treat of all is knowing you literally gave life-saving support to someone who is hospitalized during the holidays.

6. Meals on Wheels 12 Days of Giving

When: The 12 days before Christmas

The holidays can be especially difficult for those who are elderly, homebound, and alone. Meals on Wheels, the organization that has relied on volunteers to deliver meals for over 70 years, goes the extra mile in the 12 days before Christmas.

Nourish Meals on Wheels’ 12 Days of Giving program delivers special gifts with every meal. Think holiday flowers, much-needed toiletry items, Christmas cards, and games to make recipients smile. You can help by donating to fund these special mementos for those who may not receive anything else for Christmas.

A $5 donation pays for each gift, so dig into those pockets for whatever you can spare to let the homebound know that they haven’t been forgotten.

7. Houston Humane Society’s Paws and Claus Stockings

When: Dec. 1-Dec. 31

Our furry friends should never be overlooked, no matter how busy the holidays get. In fact, they deserve an extra dose of love, too.

So it’s your turn to play Santa. Just visit the Houston Humane Society and tell them you have some goodies to fill the Paws and Claus Stockings. Whether it’s treats, toys, or care items to pamper every pooch or kitty, you’ll be greeted with wags and purrs that will remind you that every creature matters.

The Humane Society makes it easy by providing links on their website to most-needed items—just order through Amazon, and when your gifts arrive, you can visit each dog or cat, placing items in their individual stockings.

No matter who has your heart this holiday season, you’ll find that you have more love to give, and reaching out to your Houston community will help your heart grow even bigger.

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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