This year’s holiday season is more than just giving and receiving presents from loved ones. With the chilly winter weather, frequent hot chocolate runs and continuous nostalgic Christmas songs playing, it’s hard not to get in the mood to give back to your community without the need for a reward; especially when we see more and more acts of kindness everywhere we go. But sometimes it can be difficult to find volunteer work and charitable donations outside of school activities. So here are a couple ways to give back and feel like you made a difference this winter.

“I can’t stand to think about animals getting abused and neglected. And it makes me cringe even more when I hear about it during such a happy time as Christmas,” senior Audrey Pyle said.

Animal protection organizations like ASPCA are always accepting volunteers and donators to help out. But simple services like Free Kibble use an easy website where you can take fun trivia’s in order to give back without even having to leave your home. All you have to do is answer a daily trivia question; for every answer your get correct, Free Kibble will donate 10 kibbles of food to animal pounds around the nation.

“I find it really helpful working at the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas because contributing only a couple hours of work a day can feed about 300 families,” sophomore Revanth Medina said.

Serving food at soup kitchens is a popular volunteer service all year round, but is especially needed during the cold winter that the homeless must endure without a warm home for shelter. The Capital Area Food Bank of Texas is a very popular soup kitchen that serves the homeless and hungry. The organization provided over twenty four million pounds of food in one year alone. Another trustworthy food drive is the Angle House Soup Kitchen. They are looking for volunteers to serve food, greeters and drivers to pick up food donations, clothes, Bible study leaders and relief cooks.

Similar to soup kitchens, Meals on Wheels provides food to the needy. But this organization is centered on the need of elderly citizens who are not able to cook for themselves and have limited family support.

“Meals on Wheels is my favorite way to give back by bringing food to people that couldn’t get it otherwise,” senior Trevor Aldridge said.

Meals on Wheels is a well-known association that provides over a million meals to seniors in need every day. But Meals on Wheels is in desperate need of volunteers this holiday season as thirty one of their key routes are lacking volunteers to run it, leaving elders in danger.

“I love working with the kids at DSACT because it gives me the chance to make a difference.” Said senior Gabrielle Arevalo. “Each child has a special level of learning and I love to take the opportunity to help them succeed.”

The Down Syndrome Association of Central Texas is a nonprofit organization dedicated to spreading public awareness of down syndrome and using fun activities and games to give the children the feeling that all kids should have; acceptance and inclusion.

Sophomore Nicole Tate helps spread warmth and smiles to children as well, but instead volunteers at Dell Children’s Hospital.

“It’s a lot of fun to sing to the kids at the Dell Hospital,” Tate said. “It makes me so happy to see kids overjoyed to hear my play with them and read stories to them.”

Dells Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas serves forty six counties and provides healthcare needs to millions of children. The hospital will always accept volunteers to entertain the hospitalized kids.

This holiday season, the best presents are the ones you don’t expect. So give freely and fall in love with your community.