Safer Ways to Volunteer and Give Back This Holiday Season

2020 has been all about adapting to change, but for some people, the changes felt this year haven’t been so easy to deal with. If you were fortunate to weather the storm that is COVID-19, you might be curious how you can give back this holiday season. And since traditional volunteering might be difficult to do with the pandemic, you might have to look outside of the box for safer volunteering ideas.  

Luckily, there are plenty of ways you can donate time, money or supplies during the pandemic to help those in need and spread some much-needed holiday cheer in and around your community.

5 Safer Ways to Volunteer this Holiday Season

As the pandemic persists, the need for qualified volunteers increases. And while traditional volunteer opportunities might not be possible at the moment there are still great ways to volunteer your time and energy in a safer way that still makes a positive impact.

1. Donate Supplies to Local Organizations – One thing you can do to volunteer during the pandemic is give much-needed supplies to organizations within your community. Sew face masks, stock up on hand sanitizer or pick up an extra container of sanitizing wipes when you head to the grocery store. Things like gloves, hygiene products, bandages and alcohol pads are greatly in need and can be very expensive for local organizations to fund on their own.
2. Help Conquer the Mental Health Crisis – If you’re good at talking on the phone, this is a perfect volunteer opportunity for you. People’s lives are in economic, social and personal turmoil from the pandemic and many helplines and phone services have been set up to help these people, but they need qualified individuals to help out. Ask around within your community and see how you can be of assistance.
3. Be an “Elf” – You can help make Christmas a little more special for children this year by helping to answer some of the letters to Santa that come through the USPS. Learn more about the Be an Elf organization and see if your local post office is participating.
4. Offer to Pay Someone’s Layaway – During the pandemic many stores have brought back layaway as a means to help families pay for Christmas presents during the pandemic. As the unemployment rate rises, these families could use a Christmas miracle. Help out by calling a store and offering to pay off a layaway balance.  
5. Make and Take Lunches – Unfortunately, there are a lot of professions, especially in the healthcare field, that won’t be able to celebrate the holidays this year. Do your part to lift their spirits by taking lunches to first responders, police officers, firefighters and retail workers within your local community.

Make the Holidays a Little Less Stressful with ezStorage

A great way to declutter your home and free up space to enjoy all the holidays have to offer this year is with storage. With ezStorage, you can find facilities right near you in Alexandria, Takoma Park and Liberty, MD. You can even take advantage of our contactless rental option to rent a unit from the comfort of your own home. If you would rather rent in person, our storage facilities are still open, and our staff is there to assist you. Rent a storage unit today!