Group of volunteers in red, Santa hats, and face masks packing donation gifts

Give the Gift of Volunteering: 7 Opportunities for Winter Break

Winter break is a period of refresh, but if you have time, it's also a great opportunity to give back. Here are some humanitarian ways to spend your days.

Once schools release students for winter break, everyone’s schedules tend to have a lot more free time. Your plans might include working a few shifts back at home for extra money or getting ahead on your spring semester by reading upcoming assignments. In addition to these plans, winter break is a good time to give back to your community. It's often hard to find time to volunteer between classes and jobs during the semester, but while you're out of school, how can you give your time and energy to brighten others’ lives around the holidays?

1. Participate in food drives

Most grocery stores, churches, and community centers hold food drives through the month of December to provide food for people in need. This is an easy way to give back since you can buy canned goods and non-perishable items without spending a ton of money. You can even start giving back before you leave for home. Encourage your dorm hall or roommates to get some food and put it in a shared box to take to a food drive on your way home for break. You'll all make a difference in a way that doesn't break the bank.

Related: An Easy How-to Guide to Start Volunteering as a Student

2. Give back at soup kitchens

Volunteering at a soup kitchen is a classic way to give back to those in need. There are many jobs to fill, like prepping food, setting up tables, serving food when people show up, or cleaning up after everyone leaves. Soup kitchens may also have extra programs going on, like giving out gifts after they serve meals. Soup kitchens always want helping hands, especially around the holidays, so find a few in your hometown and schedule a couple of shifts. You'll love the sense of community and pride that comes from helping others.

3. Volunteer at your local animal shelter

People often think donating to a gift drive or volunteering at soup kitchens are the best ways to give back, but animal shelters need help too. They can be forgotten during the holidays when people turn their attention to giving gifts and traveling. Volunteer to help feed animals or walk dogs in your free time. You can also donate various pet supplies like dry food or toys. 

Related: Spring Break Volunteering: 5 Great Ways to Give Back

4. Help out at a professional conference

Setting yourself up for professional success is a top priority for college students. Volunteering builds your résumé without requiring as much time as a part-time job, which is why so many students do it. Tailor your volunteering to your future career by helping at a professional conference related to your projected work field. Conferences need volunteers for setting up, parking assistance, and greeting guests. Engaging with your community and career professionals provides many volunteering benefits, like interacting with team members and getting production experience. Volunteering should primarily be about helping others, but that doesn’t mean you can’t benefit from it too.

5. Try virtual volunteering

Some students may head home to small, rural towns where there are minimal volunteering opportunities. If that's your situation, try virtual volunteer opportunities like editing proposals or translating documents. Virtual volunteering provides you with more opportunities that may not be available at places like food drives and animal shelters. For instance, you can use your academic talents in a certain subject by becoming an online tutor.

Related: 7 Great Opportunities for Students to Volunteer Online

6. Host a gift-wrap drive

You might wish you had more money to simply donate to your favorite charity, so why not use your winter break to make that happen? Plan a gift-wrap drive and let your friends, neighbors, and community know when it’s happening. They can bring their gifts to you and pay a small fee for you to wrap them. It saves them time, and when your drive finishes, you can donate the proceeds to a charity you’re passionate about. 

7. Visit a nursing home

Members of your local nursing home might not get to see their family during the holidays, and most likely they miss the ones who aren't around anymore. Stop by a nursing home to volunteer. You can play games with the residents, hang holiday decorations, help pass out meals, or listen to stories they have of holidays past. It's always uplifting to be there for those who might be lonely during the holidays.

Related: How Students Can Give the Gift of Experiences This Holiday Season

Research the volunteer options in your hometown to see what community options you have to choose from, and tailor your choices to your personality so you can throw your heart into the work. With a little extra thought, you'll find a great way to give back before the spring semester begins. 

Did you know volunteering can help you win scholarships? Use our Scholarship Search tool to find them!

Like what you’re reading?

Join the CollegeXpress community! Create a free account and we’ll notify you about new articles, scholarship deadlines, and more.

Join Now

Tags:

About Alyssa Abel

Alyssa Abel

Alyssa Abel is an education writer who helps students and teachers pursue their passions.

 

Join our community of
over 5 million students!

CollegeXpress has everything you need to simplify your college search, get connected to schools, and find your perfect fit.

Join CollegeXpress

College Quick Connect

Swipe right to request information.
Swipe left if you're not interested.

Columbus State University

Columbus, GA


Ana Sophia Garcia-Cubas Assemat

Ana Sophia Garcia-Cubas Assemat

$10,000 Scholarship Winner, 2020

CollegeXpress has been an instrumental resource for my scholarship search and has given me the opportunity to try my best so I can graduate from college debt-free.

Elizabeth Stafford

Elizabeth Stafford

High School Class of 2021

As a UK student moving to California due to my dad's job in the military, when I first signed up for CollegeXpress a few months ago, the college process ahead seemed daunting and incredibly stressful. That all changed after I started to explore what this website had to offer. Not only was I helped by the vast array of resources available to me, but through being a CollegeXpress member, there have been so many more benefits. There have been emails with college tips—all of which I found incredibly helpful—as well as invitations to events and notifications of scholarships that'll make college possible for me. Overall, I'm very grateful to CollegeXpress for all of these things and more. Not only have they helped me grow my understanding of the college process, but they've also helped me to grow as a person, giving me new skills that I can take with me through life.

Ariyane

Ariyane

High School Class of 2021

CollegeXpress really helped me by letting me know the colleges ratings and placements. They gave me accurate information on my colleges tuition rates and acceptance. They even let me know the ration between students and faculty and the diversity of the college. Overall they told me everything I needed and things I didnt even think I needed to know about my college and other colleges I applied for.

Cameron Lee

Cameron Lee

High School Class of 2022

I used CollegeXpress to search for colleges. It helped me narrow down the schools on the West Coast and which schools had Construction Engineering programs. I made my decision to go to OSU and I am so excited about it.

Lydia Huth

Lydia Huth

Student, Campbell University; CollegeXpress Student Writer

I discovered CollegeXpress while embarking on my college search journey as an excited—but scared and way confused—high schooler without a counselor or college-bound sibling to give me advice. Let me tell you, I’m so glad that I stumbled on this community! CollegeXpress helped me find potential colleges and keep application deadlines straight. It gave me a great list of scholarships, and the blogs and emails made me feel like I wasn’t going it alone. Almost three years later and with freshman year of college down, I still love the CollegeXpress vibe so much that I’m writing for them. I’d recommend this site to anyone!