Ways To Give Back This Holiday Season #ProtectWithVaseline #ad

Sponsored post by Mirum Shopper. All opinions are my own.

I remember being young, very young, like single digits young, volunteering at a soup kitchen. We spent the afternoon making cheese sandwiches. We made so many that day, I remember saying I never wanted to eat a cheese sandwich ever. And, truth be told, decades later, I’ve never eaten a cheese sandwich.

But, decades later, I haven’t stopped helping those in need. All through high school and college, I organized fund raisers and events to gain awareness for causes I believed in. When my friends would walk the hallways, stopping to tell me they didn’t have any money to donate to my current cause, I would ask for their time. I would ask if they had a spare 15 minutes to sit and collect donations from other students, or man my bake sale table, or just sit and keep me company.

The reality is, you may not have spare change to give to someone who is asking. Maybe you need all the change you have to feed your family and you don’t have any to spare. That’s the truth for some of us. It may not always be, but if it is for you now, but you still feel it in your heart to donate, you still can. I’ve put together a list of ways to give back this holiday season. There are a variety of ways to give back this holiday season, but I’m listing my top four.

Ways To Give Back This Holiday Season

Donate your time.
Your time is often worth more than anything in your wallet. There are so many people who want nothing more than your time. Volunteer at a nursing home and sit with the residents who don’t have family to visit them. Spend time working at local food banks or homeless shelters. Become a big brother or big sister. Even if you can only give an hour of your week, that’s fantastic.

I actually have been asked numerous times to help as an usher at my church and I always decline. I’d rather stand in the back unnoticed. But this Sunday, there were only two ushers at mass. The others weren’t able to make it in due to the hurricane. So my usher friend volun-told me it was my week. And so I pushed back my fears of being noticed and helped out. My usher friend was so grateful and, after the nerves were gone, I was happy to have helped.

Use earned credit to buy toys.
So many of the businesses we frequent have toy drives around the holidays. They’re always looking for new, unopened toys to donate. But maybe you don’t have money to blow at the toy store but you’re still compelled to help. You still can. There are many stores that will give you credit when you make certain purchases. Even better, Walgreens gives you free points for staying healthy and walking. So you don’t even need to spend any money to get some Balance Rewards. Just walk. Commit to using these “free” rewards to purchase toys (Walgreens has part of an aisle dedicated to toys at most stores). If you find some on clearance, that’s the best time to buy them. Then, donate those.

Buy free food with coupons.
We’ve all done it. There are times when you buy something because it’s free or a moneymaker. Maybe it’s not a food item you would use, but combining a coupon and a rebate make it better than free for you. So you buy it — and then you’re not sure what to do with it. You can donate it. Bring it to your local church or food bank. They’ll be very appreciative.

Purchase specific items.
This time of year, many companies will offer things like donating a certain amount of money for retweets, social media posts with specific hashtags, or certain purchases. In fact, during the month of October, the Vaseline Healing Project is focusing on supporting the national Direct Relief program. One Vaseline purchase equals one Healing donation, which delivers Vaseline® Jelly, medical supplies, and dermatological care to people affected by poverty or emergencies. Learn more at Vaseline.us/TheHealingProject.

You can purchase items like Vaseline Cocoa Radiant lotion, Vaseline Deep Moisture Tub, or Vaseline Petroleum Jelly.

Even better, you can receive a coupon for $2.00 off Well at Walgreens First Aid products when you spend $10 on Vaseline products. Limited quantity, while supplies last, between now and October 29. You can find your coupon printed out with receipt.

=

What are your favorite ways to give back this holiday season?