Give Back: Holiday Edition

The holidays have arrived, and though we always encourage our readers to Give Back, please consider doing what you can this season to spread a little extra holiday cheer.

• The Dominick’s Annual Food Drive, benefiting the Greater Chicago Food Depository, began a few weeks ago. You can contribute by dropping off non-perishables in the food barrels set up at Dominick’s locations, or by purchasing food drive Depository Dollars at check-out in $1, $2 and $5 denominations.

• Volunteer with the Chicago Chapter of Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly; the center has many different options to help out with being a year-round friend or helping hand for the program's elderly, or you can volunteer to give the chapter an extra boost just during the holidays.

• Misericordia's Hearts and Flour Bakery could always use a little extra help around the holidays with bagging and packing their baked goods for shipments to clients. Misericordia has a detailed list of year-round or seasonal volunteer opportunities as well, including Christmas brunches, Secret Santa donations and an extra pair of hands in the gift shop.

• Nick's On Wilson and Nick's Uptown are sponsoring a fund drive called "Holiday Inspiration,” where monetary gifts or donations of clothing, canned goods, educational toys, school supplies, books, tools, etc., will be rewarded with a complementary "holiday spirit" of the donor’s choice. Proceeds from the drive will go towards The Inspiration Cafe and Community Building Tutors, non-profit organizations also part of the Uptown community.

• Or, check out this list for general options for donating toys and gifts in Chicago.
  

If you know of any other volunteer/charity opportunities happening this holiday season, please feel free to share!