10 Meaningful Holiday Family Traditions that Give Back

This post was sponsored by Johnson & Johnson as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own. Please see my disclosure policy.

The holidays have so many wonderful opportunities for tradition, and for my family some of my favorite holiday family traditions involve charitable giving – in lots of creative ways!

My family and I have so much to be thankful for, even when times are tough it is important for me to reflect on how much we have – both of the tangible, material kind (shelter, clothing, food) and all of the incredible love and support we are constantly surrounded by.

Especially when times are hard, I find it even more important to make an effort to volunteer and give what we can because it’s a reminder of how truly abundant we are and helps us focus on the little meaningful things. As much as I’d love to treat myself to a $5 coffee as the kids are browsing the bookstore, I feel a lot better and we have the same connecting time if we hit the local library, or pick out books to donate to a local book drive instead.

10 Holiday Family Traditions – That Give Back!

1. create small packages of essentials to pass out to homeless people
2. volunteer to clean up our local park
3. grocery shop for the food bank
4. choose gifts that have a charitable donation attached
5. donate to charity in lieu of a gift
6. purchase from the Save the Children “Gifts of Joy” Holiday Catalog
7. pick out toys for the local toy drive
8. donate gently used clothing and toys rather than reselling
9. volunteer at our local animal shelter
10. use the Johnson & Johnson Donate a Photo App to send holiday pictures to friends

Some of these charitable efforts do have a cost associated with them – but some of them are free! Donating items you’re not going to use anymore is great for reducing clutter and saving you time, plus the hassle of reselling has really become not worth it to me, especially since I don’t like giving out my address and end up wasting time waiting at safe locations to trade, and sometimes people don’t show! For the small amount of money I’d receive, I’d rather a family in need have one less cost to worry about.

Charitable Holiday Family Traditions Teach Kids Compassion & Gratitude

Volunteering is a great way to really show kids the results of their effort and remind them in a tangible way that they can truly make a difference where they want to see change in the world. Ask your kids where they would like to volunteer or what they’d like to see change in if you’re stuck for ideas! Some places do book up or have age restrictions for volunteers, so call first before getting your kids’ hopes up – but many places will also be able to suggest an alternative if one exists.

Use the Johnson & Johnson Donate a Photo app for EASY Holiday Giving!

The Johnson & Johnson Donate a Photo app is probably the easiest and least time consuming of all holiday giving options we’re doing this holiday season. For every photo shared through the free Donate a Photo app, Johnson & Johnson donates $1 to one of its trusted non-profit partners, which we get to choose! So, as I send pictures to loved ones through the holidays, which I already do anyway, and I can do it in a way that contributes to charity.

“Johnson & Johnson has curated a list of trusted causes, and you can donate a photo to one cause, once a day. Each cause will appear in the app until it reaches its goal, or the donation period ends. If the goal isn’t reached, the cause will still get a minimum donation.”

Find out how to download the Donate a Photo app HERE.

Johnson & Johnson is also matching each donation (up to $450,000) purchased through the Save the Children “Gifts of Joy” Holiday Catalog – part of it’s 3-year $10 million commitment to the charity.

What are your family’s favorite ways to donate or give back? Do you have any charitable holiday family traditions of your own?

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More Family Traditions Inspiration:

• New Years Family Traditions – “From the Mouths of Moms”
• Fun Winter Family Traditions
• 20 Awesome Kids’ Birthday Traditions

This post was sponsored by Johnson & Johnson as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own. Please see my disclosure policy.