December 11, 2020
This year has demonstrated, more than ever, the importance of family, friends, neighbors, and community. It truly takes everyone to keep a community functioning effectively, whether that’s by keeping our community safe, caring for the less fortunate, teaching our kids, or supporting small businesses.
With the Christmas just days away, December offers the perfect opportunity to give back to Northern Colorado. You may want to focus your efforts near home, expand to our larger community, or help support the people closest to you. Whether you’re passionate about a particular cause or just want to get more involved in general, let these 9 ways, both big and small, inspire you to do good where you live.
1. Support local businesses. NOCO has been impacted by the pandemic, businesses being forced to limit capacity, implement social distancing, and even shutter staff entirely in some cases. Help keep money in our local economy by shopping local and small rather than relying on online shopping from national chains.
Ideas:
- From handcrafted soaps and one-of-a-kind apparel to locally produced chocolate and small-batch wines, you’ll find plenty of unique gifts at the small businesses that dot our community.
- Consider purchasing tickets to attend live-streamed holiday concerts and shows.
- Buy cookies and other baked goods from our local bakery.
- Get takeout from our local restaurants or bundle up and eat outdoors.
- Support local farmers by purchasing their organic fresh fruits and vegetables at local supermarkets.
Take action: If you’re concerned about shopping in person right now, many of these businesses, though small, offer online shopping, with options for in-store pick-up, curbside delivery, and/or shipping options.
2. Donate to local charities. Nonprofits always appreciate your financial support, so consider making a monetary donation to help them carry out their mission in our community. But if money is tight [or you want to support in other ways], think beyond just donating dollars.
Ideas:
- Consider donating to a charity in someone else’s name as an altruistic gift on behalf of a friend or relative.
- Give blood to our local blood bank.
- Volunteer to serve meals at Fort Collins Rescue Mission.
- Donate new or used books to our community library.
- Send school supplies to a neighborhood elementary school.
- Help struggling neighbors by hanging Christmas lights, decorating, or running errands.
- Serve those struggling by donating blankets, coats, gloves, and hats to the homeless.
- Pick out toys to give to a charity that caters to families. 1
Take action: Many collection efforts run by charitable organizations and businesses take place during the holidays. Look to see what’s already taking place in our community and choose one or more to give to this season.
3. Adopt a family or an individual. The Christmas can be a struggle, financially and emotionally, for many, especially this year. They may be unable to buy a Christmas tree or gifts for loved ones. Maybe their Christmas meal consists of boxed macaroni and cheese because they can’t afford a turkey and fresh vegetables. You can make a difference by “adopting” a particular family [or even just a child] to help make their holiday special.
Ideas:
- If you know a family who could benefit from help, contact them directly.
- If not, ask a church or community group for the name of a family or individual in need.
- Some businesses even sponsor toy drives or “angel trees” where you can pick the name of a hurting family off the tree and assist in that manner.
Take action: This works great as a family project. Get the kids in your life involved to help make holiday cards and pick out toys to give to the children in the adopted family.
4. Volunteer. Depending on your schedule and preferences, you might be able to volunteer in-person or from home, whether it’s a one-time effort or ongoing project. It’s a great way to meet like-minded people in your community as you make a positive impact together for a shared cause.
Ideas:
- Give your time to a cause or organization that really matters to you, such as your local school, animal rescue organization, mental health awareness group, or environmental nonprofit.2
- Tap into a skill you already have, like creating videos, and offer your services.
- Or learn a new skill to benefit your cause of choice.
Take action: Start with your local community to see where its needs are the greatest. Make a point to help this holiday season, perhaps extending your commitment throughout 2021.
5. Perform random acts of kindness. Don’t think you need to “go big or go home” in your give-back efforts. You can make a big difference by engaging one small act at a time.
Ideas:
- Give an extra-generous tip to a server at the restaurant, even with take-out or curbside pick-up.
- Pay it forward – buy the coffee of Chick-Fil-A of the car behind you in the drive-through.
- Take care of a neighbor’s pet while they’re out of town.
- Send holiday cards to deployed military personnel.
- Deliver a plate of homemade holiday cookies to our local fire or police station.
- Smile at a stranger.
- Rake leaves or shovel snow for an elderly neighbor.
- Thank your child’s teacher for all their hard work this year.
- Send an uplifting text to a friend.
- Compliment someone.
- Help a coworker with an unpleasant task.
Take action: Need more ideas? Visit randomactsofkindness.org for hundreds of inspiring ways to make someone’s day a little brighter.
6. Organize a holiday food drive. This year, in particular, people are struggling to pay their bills and put food on the table. COVID has forced many businesses to close or reduce their staff size, putting many people out of work.
Ideas:
- If you personally know someone who needs help buying groceries, reach out and discreetly offer to help that one family.
- Partner with Larimer County Food Bank, Fort Collins Rescue Mission, House of Neighborly Services, or other community organizations to help feed people in need.
- Round up a few friends, family, co-workers, your small group, or neighbors to collect food, then deliver in time for Christmas.
Take action: Take advantage of your grocery store coupons and buy-one-get-one offers to inexpensively stock up on nonperishable goods.
7. Boost your civic engagement. Regardless of your politics, perhaps you can get more involved as a citizen to make a positive difference in our community.
Ideas:
- Sign a petition to make a needed change in our community.
- Join a group that supports a cause dear to your heart.
- Attend local school board meetings, town halls, or city council meetings to understand [and have a voice in] local issues.3
- Watch [and read] a variety of local news sources to get balanced reporting on what’s happening in our community.
- If you don’t know your neighbors very well, introduce yourself.
- Then make a commitment to check in on those who might need help, such as an elderly neighbor.
- Get plugged into the resources and events in our town by visiting local museums, taking historical tours, borrowing materials from our local library, and attending community festivals.
Take action: Do you know who our local leaders are, such as our mayor or city councilwoman? Get to know their names, their policies, and their stand on issues that affect our community. Subscribe to their newsletter and follow them on social media.
8. Organize or join a neighborhood watch. According to a recent report, neighborhoods with Neighborhood Crime Watch programs experience roughly 16 percent less crime.4 Keeping an eye out for each other instills a sense of safety and security in your neighborhood by increasing surveillance, reducing opportunities, and enhancing information sharing among residents. Even if your neighborhood doesn’t have an official program, you can still share crime information via a neighborhood Facebook group or apps like NextDoor.
Ideas:
- Make a point of looking out for each other and being observant of what’s going on.
- You can even make it official by joining a neighborhood watch program.
- Don’t have one? Consider launching a neighborhood watch program with the help of other interested neighbors.
Take action: Some police forces use online mapping tools that provide crime alerts to people in neighborhoods where recent criminal activity occurred.4 Share this information with your neighbors.
9. Care for local wildlife. By making your neighborhood more wildlife friendly, you’re helping to create a balanced and healthy ecosystem. Plus, many of the animals you can attract help with pest control and pollination.5
Ideas:
- Place bird feeders on your property to feed birds all year long.
- Tie corncobs to tree branches to feed squirrels.
- Hang birdhouses on your property to provide shelter.
- Use native plants in your landscaping to provide food and shelter for birds, bees, butterflies, and other critters.
- We have elk and fox in our neighborhood regularly. Placing wire around prized shrubs and plants as well as wrapping trees, will help you enjoy wildlife without stressing about possible damage.
Take action: While you might not be able to “break ground” until spring, start researching native plants now to design a landscaping plan that provides food, shelter, and water for local wildlife.
HOW WE CAN HELP YOU?
As real estate professionals in our local community, the C3 team is tuned into the unique needs of the place we all call home. Reach out to us today to discuss more ways to make a positive impact in our community—this Christmas season and beyond.
And we want to make sure you’re taken care of, too. If you’re thinking about buying or selling a home now or in the near future, it would be my honor to serve you!
Sources:
- MentalFloss –
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/88663/15-ways-give-back-holiday-season - Together We Rise –
https://www.togetherwerise.org/blog/7-ways-give-back-community/ - Parade –
https://parade.com/1083640/stephanieosmanski/what-is-civic-engagement/ - The Globe and Mail –
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/home-and-garden/how-neighbours-and-online-maps-can-help-deter-break-ins/article34886427/ - Redfin –
https://www.redfin.com/blog/attract-wildlife-to-your-backyard/#:~:text=Sow%20plants%20that%20provide%20essentials,these%20alternate%20natural%20food%20sources
