5 Ways to Give Back Without Spending Money

With the holidays upon us there is more pressure than ever to spend money. Gifts, trips and Christmas outings can all add up fast. For those on a tight budget, it doesn’t leave a lot of room for charitable giving. Yet Christmas is a time when many charities need help the most. Bob and Diane Conconi proudly devote their energy, time and leadership skills by way of the Foundation and give back to the community in many ways. Giving back doesn’t always have to mean giving back monetarily. With that in mind the RLCF’s put together some ways you can give back this holiday season that doesn’t involve spending money:

1. Volunteer your time
Find a cause that you’re passionate about and spend a day volunteering. Many charities often require only a few hours of your time, and you may find it’s more rewarding than handing over a cheque. Visit http://govolunteer.ca/ to find opportunities to support your interests.

2. Create something to donate
Do you knit or sew? Many charities collect and distribute blankets or clothing for shelters. Help someone stay warm this year with gloves, a toque, a scarf or even a warm homemade hot chocolate.

3. Start your spring cleaning early
With the influx of new gifts, Christmas is a great time to clean out your house. The Salvation Army and Value Village both accept gently-used items and resell them at below cost. It’s also likely you have a few cans of beans in your pantry that have been there a while. Luckily for you, The Greater Vancouver Food Bank accepts non-perishable food items at participating grocery stores in Vancouver, Burnaby and the North Shore.

4. Give blood
It only takes about an hour to donate blood, and your donation will be used by the Canadian Blood Services to save or improve someone’s life within a few days. The cookies and juice after wards definitely sweeten the deal.

5. Dare a friend to give back
People are more likely to give if someone asks them too. Take the Governor General’s Dare2Give challenge and dare your friends, families, and co-workers to give their “time, talent or treasure”. Dares can include anything from holding a door open for someone to donating your old textbooks.

Will you be giving back this Christmas? Comment and let us know how you’ll be donating this holiday season.

We’d also love to hear additional ways to give back this season – tweet us, post a message to facebook or connect with us on LinkedIn, sharing your favourite way to give back this season.

Facebook: Robertlconconifoundation

Twitter: @ConconiFndn

Linkedin: Robert L. Conconi Foundation