Extending the Spirit of The Giving Season: Great Ways to Give Back to the Community For the Holidays (Lake County, Waukegan Area)

In the spirit of the season of giving, and the fact that it’s National Philanthropy Day, we’re going to take a moment to share some great ways you can give back right in your own backyard. You don’t have to sign up for huge events, participate in large fundraiser shindigs, or even head overseas to make a difference. By electing to get directly involved in regional and neighborhood programs, your philanthropic efforts have a direct, real world impact on your local community!  Even just one small donation or a few hours of your time volunteering can make a significant impact on someone who really needs it the most.  And of course, kindness begets kindness– when folks receive generosity and empathy, they are inclined to pay it forward. 

With just a few simple gestures of good will, we can work together to create a sustained, supported network of friends and neighbors who know they can depend on each other when they need it most. While the most obvious and upfront version of philanthropy is financial support and monetary donations, there are so many other great ways to help. 

Here at Classic, we have done quite a bit of local philanthropy in various ways. We truly believe that in order to be a part of a community, you have to get out there and get to know everyone, and what they need!  We want to live and work in a community that’s vibing and thriving for years to come, and we hope you’ll join us in the efforts.  Some of the ways we’ve supported our neighbors include collecting donations for Toys for Tots, trunk or treat family events, run fundraisers for local causes, donated to local youth sports orgs, organized food drives, hosted free holiday meals and barbecue events for veterans, and many more. Those are just a few of the ways we can show our thanks and support for our friends and neighbors who have supported us over the years, too.

More Great Ways to Give Back Right Here at Home

• Sponsor a family for the holidays and connect with someone local. The local soup kitchens and domestic shelters will be busy this holiday season, keeping people safe and warm. Consider reaching out to ask about programs for sponsoring a family this year.  This may include helping with expenses for a holiday meal, purchasing holiday gifts for children, financial contributions towards housing security, and more.  Likewise, many local religions organizations will host giving circles where families can post their needs to local bulletin boards and you can pull a tag, purchase the item, and return it unwrapped with the gift-request tag on it to the church or temple location for distribution.  Of course, you can also take a more literal approach and lean towards inviting your neighbors or a local friend who won’t be traveling home during the holidays to join you, instead!
• Build an empathetic community by sharing a moment with a “stranger” through a little dose of kindness. This can look like helping someone load groceries into their car, paying for someone’s meal behind you at the drive through, paying in advance for the coffee of the person in line after you, leave an extra large tip at the next restaurant or bar you visit, call the local utility company or medical facility and pay off someone’s bill at random.
• Make a monetary donation to a local food bank or host a food drive in your neighborhood.  Encourage your friends, neighbors and loved ones to donate non-perishables to your efforts or add to your donation bin. Remember to include shelf-stable specialty goods like allergen friendly ingredients, gluten free food, and even seasonings!  Organize a drop spot at your business or your school or office, and then bring the collective donations to a larger facility. You can also host your own pick-up event for those who need it, or leave a shelf outside your business for those who require it to take what they need.
• Create a Little Free Pantry for your home or local park. Stock the free pantry with shelf stable goods, toiletries, hygiene products, and refill it often.  This small act of community giving provides easy access to healthy foods and necessities without having to fill out lengthy applications for funding, stand in long lines, or other prohibitive measures.  It can also be helpful to stock these pantries with pet-friendly items, too.
• Volunteer your time and energy at local spaces. Donating your time  within your local community soup kitchen and/or shelter can do a world of good.  Volunteer your cooking prowess at your local soup kitchen to help shop, prepare, organize, and serve meals to those who need it most.  Call your local senior center or nursing home and ask if they need volunteer visitors for game nights, bingo events, musical performances, etc.  Lend your skills on contracting, carpentry or woodworking skills to building community housing for nonprofit housing organizations.
• Hand out winter-weather survival packages with necessities and personal care items in your local city or town. Create bags with shelf-stable allergen-friendly foods, personal items and toiletries, etc.  and hand them around to folks who need it. Likewise, you can drop them off at the local domestic shelter or homeless shelter or you can give them out to people in need as you meet them.  During cold weather months, give out hats, mittens, scarves, thermal underwear, and thick socks to the packages. Consider also adding gift cards to local food stores or ride share services to help the folks sustain their safety and access resources.
• Join a local creator, musician, or other group’s Patreon subscribers. Enrolling as part of someone’s Patreon account can provide lasting and ongoing support for independent creators and artists. By becoming a patron of this person, you are allowing them to continue to support their creative endeavors, lifelong project goals, special releases, limited runs of artwork or music, and more. It allows the person a guaranteed source of income to pursue their business goals and dreams. Some tiers may offer gifts or rewards, but you can also back the projects at a no-reward level or amount of your choosing above their ascribed tiers. It’s a great way to support local artists and ensure a thriving community of vibrant creative people and beautify the areas!

These local organizations in and around the Lake County area could use your support this holiday season and beyond! Consider making a donation or setting up recurring increments year round to help support these important community groups.  Even just a few dollars can make a big difference!  Don’t have the means to financially support? Reach out and ask about volunteering your time or services to the orgs in whatever way works for you.

🤝  African American Museum in Waukegan

🤝  COOL Ministries in Waukegan

🤝  Keeping Families Covered in Waukegan

🤝  YWCA Metropolitan Chicago in Waukegan

🤝  Greentown Grows Inc in Waukegan

🤝  UMMA-Urban Muslim Minority Alliance in Waukegan

🤝  Three Brothers Theatre in Waukegan

🤝  Heart of the City in Waukegan

🤝  Plant Based Nutrition Movement in Waukegan

🤝  Habitat for Humanity in Waukegan

🤝  Our Shining Stars Foundation in Gurnee

🤝  Blue Crescent Outreach Foundation in Gurnee

🤝  Veterans Assistance Commission in Gurnee

🤝  Mano a Mano Family Resource Center in Round Lake Park

🤝  LAMBS Farm in Libertyville

🤝  CYN Counseling Center in Grayslake

🤝  Cornerstone Educational Foundation in Long Grove

🤝  Haven Youth and Family Services in Lake Bluff

This list is by no means exhaustive, and we encourage you to continue to get curious about non-profits in the area and find even more to support!

What are some things that you and your family do to give back to your communities and help fight hunger and homelessness, and provide stability to those in need?  Feel free to contribute to the conversation by pitching in your own community-centric, neighborly suggestions in the comments on our social media. 

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