Spreading the holiday spirit through service

Since December has just begun, the holiday season is underway! No matter what you celebrate during this time, the holiday spirit is contagious and can be felt all throughout the community. For the most part, people see the holidays as a time to spend with family, open gifts, eat delicious food, and follow traditions. This year, however, you should try starting a new holiday tradition: volunteering. Volunteering during the holiday season is the perfect way to spread holiday cheer and show kindness and love towards people within your community. Here are some of the reasons why you should consider volunteering during the holidays:

1. Volunteering during the holidays helps to spread cheer and love to those who might not be feeling the holiday spirit. Underserved members of the community might not have the resources to properly celebrate during the season; that’s why volunteering and donating can help to put a smile on their faces. It’s rewarding to see how your service can help an underprivileged individual or family to have a great holiday, whether your service is volunteering at a soup kitchen or donating winter clothes. The satisfaction of helping and caring for others is one of the greatest gifts you can receive.
2. There is a lot of free time to spend volunteering over the holidays. Many teens and adults have time off during the winter for the holidays, and this time can be spent in a purposeful manner by giving back to the community. The holidays are a time in which we do not have to worry about other responsibilities, such as school or work, and that is why it is the perfect time to focus your attention to service opportunities.
3. Volunteering is a virtuous activity that you can do with your family, friends, and loved ones during the holiday season. Volunteering is a great way to spend quality time with your family; many nonprofit organizations in the Triangle area provide family service opportunities throughout the year. This is a great way to bond with your loved ones during the most wonderful time of the year, and it is a means for families to find bonding time together. 
4. You can sustain the chain of giving during the holidays. Holidays are all about giving, whether that is tangible objects, like gifts, or acts of kindness and service. Do you want another way to give back and experience the rewards of generosity? Volunteering provides the perfect opportunity to make someone else’s holiday season greater, and you help to maintain a community-wide chain of giving.
5. ​Volunteering during the holidays can give you a new perspective on the world. This point is coming from personal experience. A couple of years ago, I had the privilege to spend my New Year’s Eve at a men’s homeless shelter, and I worked to serve them a delicious homemade dinner for the holidays. That experience will forever change me; I had the chance to immerse myself in the shelter’s environment, and I made connections with the individuals in the shelter that impel me to keep volunteering. I will never forget the kindness and gratitude of the men whom I served that night. Not only did this experience enforce a greater appreciation in me for what I already have, but it also drove me to keep spreading goodwill in my community.
   
   The team at Triangle Cares hopes that everyone has a very happy holiday, and we hope that you plan to spend some time volunteering this season! Spread love and goodwill this month by signing up for an opportunity in the Triangle area; you can help others feel the warmth and compassion of the holiday season!