The Ultimate Guide: Giving Back to Denton County this Holiday Season
Between holiday parties, shopping for the perfect gifts, and traveling to see your loved ones, it's no wonder December flies by. Caught up in the whirlwind of “getting ready for the holidays”, it’s easy to lose sight of what truly matters.
For every family gathering together in a warm home with trees and stockings filled with gifts, there is another family with barely enough food in their pantry, no presents to give their children, or maybe even no home at all.
Although spreading hope and joy shouldn’t be reserved for just the holidays, it is important that kindness, gratitude, and service to others don’t fall off your holiday to-do list.
Wherever you find yourself this holiday season, there are ample ways to give back to Denton County (and they don’t all involve donating money).
Here are 10 ways you can spread hope and cheer to your neighbors this holiday season:
Do a drive to help families in need
One of the best ways to give back to your community is to do a drive and collect needed supplies for local agencies serving families in need.
Denton Community Food Center is always in need of boxed food, canned meals and vegetables, cereals, meat products, and pasta. With over ⅕ of the Denton Community struggling with hunger insecurity, you can give the gift of food this holiday season. Scour your pantries for some food items you can part with, and know your donations will also help your neighbors have a hearty celebratory meal.
Refuge for Women is the nation’s largest recovery program for victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation. By collecting various household items such as shampoo and conditioner, facial wipes, batteries, toilet paper, and gift cards, you can help support women in their transitional housing.
Woman to Woman Pregnancy Resource Center helps women in unplanned pregnancy situations. Facing an unexpected life change is difficult enough without having to worry about resources for your newborn baby. You can support these new moms by donating diapers, formula, baby wipes, baby blankets, and baby clothes to be used for new mom gift bags.
Children’s Advocacy Center for North Texas annually organizes a holiday drive for families in need. This year, they are asking for children’s specific requests and then will provide registered donors with a list so they can shop for children they adopt. Families will also have the opportunity to come to one of their office locations for Santa’s Workshop where they can select additional gifts.
Buy a gift that gives back
You’re probably already planning on buying a few gifts this holiday season. Why not purchase some that support local agencies? If you're looking for handcrafted leather bags, jewelry, artisan candles, or apparel, then shop at Survivor Made. Each Survivor Made product is handcrafted by a survivor of human trafficking and sexual exploitation while a resident at Refuge for Women.
If your personal shopping list has already been taken care of, you can give a gift that keeps on giving by partnering with Angel Tree Christmas (through Prison Fellowship). Angel Tree Christmas gives incarcerated parents a way to provide a Christmas gift to their children as a tangible representation of their love during the holidays. In addition to your gift, every Angel Tree family will also be given access to a free and easy-to-read Bible. You can register individually, or register your church, organization, or group, and give joy and hope to people who might otherwise have little to celebrate.
Donate your time
Looking for a way to donate but can’t afford any extra costs? Not to worry. You can give the gift of your time and make a huge impact on the lives of struggling people. On December 16th, Ranch Hands Rescue will be hosting an online Ignite Hope for the Holidays event to bring awareness to the amazing work of Ranch Hands Rescue and Bob's House of Hope.
Ranch Hands Rescue is an animal sanctuary for special-needs animals that provides counseling services to traumatized youth to help them on their healing journey, and Bob's House of Hope is the first safe house in the country for young men who have been sex-trafficked.
You can hop online between 7:00-9:00 pm for a night of celebration, fun, and a live auction for those last-minute gift needs you might have! This is a great way to continue to ignite hope for the people and animals they tirelessly serve. But be sure to RSVP, you won’t want to miss this event!
There are plenty of other organizations currently in need of volunteers this holiday season. Here is a full list of ways you can volunteer in Denton County during the holidays.Participate in local Christmas fundraisers
You can make a family’s wish come true this holiday season by supporting the Giving Grace Christmas Event on December 10th. Giving Grace is a pillar of hope in Denton County that transforms lives by breaking the cycle of homelessness through resources and relationships, and you have the opportunity to directly serve families in need. The opportunities begin Friday 12/9 for event set up, as well as Saturday 12/10 to work the event.
Supporting Denton County Friends of the Family is another easy way to make a huge impact on Denton families this holiday season.
This year, DCFOF is hosting an Adopt-A-Family Holiday Drive which provides the exclusive experience of adopting a Denton family and ensuring they have holiday gifts as well as clothing and meals this Holiday season! Once you are matched with a family, you’ll be given the names and ages of the children you’ve adopted along with gift ideas and clothing sizes.
Attend events that support the community
December 10th: Santa Paws is headed to the City of Denton Animal Shelter to spread Holiday cheer! Bring your furry, scaly, or feathered family members and take holiday pictures with Santa! Gather your fur babies to get their picture with Mr. Kringle himself on December 10th from 10-3 pm at 3717 N. Elm St. in Denton.
December 10th: Come to Santa’s Workshop at the Explorium Children’s Museum to create gifts for loved ones at 5 different gift-making stations! You’ll get to enjoy Christmas music, sweet treats, community, and even get help wrapping your gifts from North Pole Elves themselves! The cost is $15 for members and $20 for non-members, with no additional costs for accompanying parents. The event will be held from 5:30-7:30 pm, and you won’t want to miss it!
December 15th: Dig out that ugly Christmas Sweater you’ve been waiting to wear all year and head over to The Horse's Axe in Denton for their December theme night! Not only will you have the chance to rock your favorite holiday sweater, but you’ll only get to throw axes like a champ for only $16 an hour between 4-10 pm. Plus, if you decide to participate, you’ll automatically be entered to win a swag package.
Be an elf
You don’t have to live at the North Pole to complete your local elfly duties. Operation Santa has moved online and anyone wanting to answer letters to Santa can do so from their couch. How does it work? Simply adopt a letter, print the barcoded address label, and let your inner elf run wild.
If you want your packages to arrive by Christmas be sure to mail them by December 10th. But if you’re wanting to extend the holiday cheer into the New Year, packages will be accepted until January 14th. Once it's ready for Santa’s sleigh you can find your closest participating post office here.Help provide holiday meals
Denton Community Food Center gives away free food to hungry people each week at the Serve Denton Center. Last month alone, DCFC saw a 30% increase in demand, meaning you can make a difference in the lives of these very neighbors by answering their desperate call for volunteers this month. Anyone over the age of 16 who has been vaccinated and boosted in the last six months can volunteer on Monday and Wednesday from 9:30 to 1:30 (CDC vaccination cards must be provided).
Our Daily Bread also serves over 600 meals daily to the homeless and at-risk in Denton County and has been doing so for over 20 years. Volunteers are their lifeline and the heartbeat behind making this possible. You can help serve holiday meals this Christmas and build connections and relationships with some of your neighbors in need.
Help provide warm homes for the holidays
Not every family will be able to snuggle together in a warm house this Christmas as many struggle to pay their electric and gas bills. Some can’t afford their rent this month and are wondering if they will have a home to gather in at all.
When you donate to Giving Grace and Texoma Council of Governments, you can help keep their lights on, and ovens warm for holiday feasts, and ensure they have a safe place to gather and celebrate together.
Another option is partnering with Hearts for Homes which offers home rehabilitation and home repairs to low-income seniors in Denton County. What could be more meaningful than helping restore dignity, peace, and security to the men and women who invested so much into our community?
Support your furry friends
You can’t forget about the four-legged loved ones this time of year…especially when Santa Paws is coming to town. The City of Denton Animal Shelter is hosting pictures with Santa on December 10th, so bring your fur babies and your human babies for a family holiday photo with Santa himself!
You can also adopt a pet and give shelter animals hope for the pawlidays through the Denton Animal Support Foundation. Even our furry friends deserve a family to celebrate with during the holidays!
Raise money for a nonprofit of your choice
Giving back to your community doesn’t have to be a one-time thing. Keep the spirit of giving alive throughout the year and consider supporting local nonprofits monthly.
Here’s a list of more Denton County nonprofits we haven’t listed that would benefit from your generous donations and time: