With Black Friday and Cyber Monday behind us, people are now fully in the holiday spirit. By now, most of us have received some — or all — of our gift deliveries. We’ve planned our holiday dinner menus, decided how we’re going to socially distance with any guests, and have figured out a safe way to celebrate the holiday season, with or without our cherished loved ones.
Despite all the difficulties that 2020 brought, many of us are still able to live a full, robust life with the ones we love. As we huddle together, remaining safe in our homes over the coming holiday season, let us remember that if we are in good physical, mental and financial health, then we’re doing pretty good.
However, not all of us come up positive when doing the triple check (physical, mental, financial). Many are still financially vulnerable, and many are facing poverty conditions. This can lead to the breakdown of at least one of the remaining two pillars of health (physical and mental). This is a difficult circle, and as anyone facing poverty will inform you, it is one that is nearly impossible to get out from under.
Here’s how you can help:
Food Banks
Since the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more people have relied on food banks to deal with unexpected job or income losses.
If you’re not on lockdown, try donating to a food bank in person. Walk to your kitchen cupboards, find some non-perishable items, put them by your door in a plastic bag, and the next time you go out, take a small detour to your local food bank and drop them off. Let the organizers know that you’d like to volunteer to package or deliver meals. At Second Harvest Food Bank, we also recruit volunteers with pickup trucks to transport food from the food bank to people’s homes and communities.
Still isolating or quarantining at home? You can go online, find your local food bank, and donate as little as $5. It only takes 5 minutes.
Imagine how many vulnerable people could be fed, especially during this holiday season, if we all just chipped in.
Use Your Social Networks
As most of us stay in our homes, remaining safe and socially distant, we are always looking for new things to do. Consider running an online benefit or food drive. Many of us have hundreds, if not thousands of social media friends, and belong to many different online groups. Why not leverage these connections and start a social media fundraiser or food drive?
With only four or five people, you can create a group or fundraiser on a platform like Facebook and stir up some excitement for your campaign. Take an hour or two to plan it, and include friends and family in the process to expand things even further. Keep people engaged by posting fresh new content every day, including calls to action encouraging your networks to join in and donate. Comment, like, and share to spur positive engagement.
Both of these activities are even more fun with a team. Gather up some of your friends and family, and spread the workaround. If you split the tasks among a group of organizers, you can give back to those who need you, and have a whole lot of fun!
