Turning Holiday Connections into Community Action

The holidays are upon us, serving as a joyous time to get together with loved ones, celebrate, relax, and reflect on the past year while bringing in hope for the one to come. This time of year also inspires many of us to perform charitable acts of kindness in our communities, making it an excellent occasion to plan and launch a community effort in your area and invite others to join.

Planning and hosting a small holiday activity can be a festive way to pilot your initiative as it’s a low-pressure, high-connection way to raise awareness, strengthen community bonds, and ignite action. Not sure you want to host your very own event? Seeking out local organizations with which you’d like to partner in the future is also a great way to take the first step toward bringing your idea for impact to life.

Why the holidays are the perfect time to start something small

Starting an initiative during the holiday season by organizing a small event or activity provides an opportunity to explore new partnerships and vital relationships with community stakeholders. It can serve as a segue for spreading awareness and sharing ideas.

This time of year offers a unique energy of people with big hearts looking to help those in need, and if your initiative is aimed at doing just that, you’ll more than likely meet others who will happily join you in your efforts. This may also be an opportunity to learn what others in your community think about the issue you’re addressing and the efforts to address it. You can use the time to survey your invitees and explore the following: 

• What resonates most with people in my community?
• Who shows up and why?
• What partnerships or resources naturally emerge from this gathering?

Examples of holiday events and activities that build connection

Below are a few activity or event ideas that can double as a meeting point for connecting with potential joiners and pilots for your future community work:

1. Host a holiday meal: Get-togethers with delicious food and a merry atmosphere are a popular way to bring people together. Invite participants to bring a favorite dish or, to make it multicultural-friendly, ask them to bring a family-favorite dish or one that represents their heritage. You can host a holiday community breakfast to break bread while sharing ideas about your community. 
2. Clothing, food, or toy drives: If you have an idea for addressing the needs of children, families in need, the unhoused, etc., a good starting point for gaining the attention of fellow community changemakers can be to start a clothing, food, or toy drive. Identify a local organization you hope to partner with in the future to see if they are hosting a local drive, and inspire others to join you in donating. You can also organize your own drive and collect items you’d like to donate to a local shelter, mutual aid group, school, church, or other organization serving people in need. Check out this Recipe for Action detailing how one person organized a sock drive for inspiration.
3. The art of wrapping: Receiving a beautifully wrapped gift can make a person feel extra special. If you have a special knack for wrapping and decorating gifts, you can host a gift-wrapping activity with fellow neighbors or volunteer to wrap gifts at a local charity that is working in the same issue area as you. If you do the latter, invite neighbors to join! Some organizations host one-day gift-wrapping events or may ask for additional help sorting and distributing the wrapped gifts. 
4. Deck the halls!: Do holiday lights bring you instantaneous delight? You can share that jubilation and bring pizzazz to a local charity or community center by volunteering to put up holiday decorations. Reach out to local organizations or charities you’d like to partner with in the future to see if they have a volunteer decorating committee you can join. And yes, invite others to join you!
5. A little glitter goes a long way: Joyful homemade cards can bring smiles to many faces, especially to people in your area who may be alone for the holidays. Hosting a card-making activity can be a great way not only to spread cheer in your neighborhood but also to have fun while sharing ideas. Making a homemade holiday card can be as simple or elaborate as you like! Feel free to use supplies such as construction paper, card stock, markers, crayons, pipe cleaners, or glitter. Some organizations also seek volunteers during this time to make holiday cards for the individuals and families they serve. Volunteering can be a great way to support their efforts and build future collaborative partnerships.

Some quick tips to engage your merry audience

If you plan to host an activity or event, use the opportunity to identify who is likely to continue working with you as you move forward with your initiative. As stated above, this is an informal way of surveying the community for fellow action takers. With a focus on relationship building, this provides a starting point to get to know others in your area, expand your network, and build camaraderie that will increase the reach of your overall project. Keep in mind the following:

1. Ask questions during conversations, or email a post-event survey to gauge interest in future activities within the scope of your project.
2. What worked well? Use the survey or discussions with invitees to reflect on what went well with your activity or event. This will help with planning future activities or events within the scope of your project.
3. Identify fellow changemakers who want to continue with you on your journey to impact your community with your idea. Who wants to partner with you, volunteer, or help connect you to other people, groups, or organizations you can partner with?
4. Capture and share your festivities! Make sure to take photos and videos of your holiday kickoff event or activity to share with your network and on social media. Get video testimonials from participants. This not only highlights your fun-filled merry-making time but also helps spread the word about your upcoming community project.

Seize this moment to think outside the gift box! Let this holiday season be the start of building solid, impactful relationships and of making a change that includes your community in a meaningful way. Choose one small act to jump-start your idea and see where it takes you.

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Do you have other ways to connect with community members during the holiday season? Drop your suggestions below! We’d love to hear from you.