Meaningful gifts you can give this holiday season

(NC) Many of us feel like we want to give back during the holidays, but don’t know where to start. Making a meaningful difference in someone’s life can be simpler than you think. Consider one of these unexpected giving options with our holiday giving guide:

There are ways to give green

Most items, especially toys, come with a lot of packaging and are often made of plastic. For a greener option, gift an experience, such as tickets to an event, rather than an item, or support a charity in your recipient’s name. Some charities have environmentally friendly options built into their operations, like The Period Purse, which provides free education to reduce period stigma and donates sustainable and reusable menstrual products to communities in need.

theperiodpurse.com

Help someone you love stay connected

Not everyone is comfortable navigating services like mobile, internet or TV. You can support someone close to you by helping them set up services, secure their accounts or checking monthly bills for unexpected charges. And make sure they know their rights and where to turn if a problem isn’t resolved. The Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS) provides free, independent help when Canadians can’t find a solution with their service provider.

letsstayconnected.ca

Support your community by supporting great content

One meaningful gift that can make a difference at home is by making a donation in the recipient’s name to a cause that helps educate and strengthen your community. For example, organizations like TVO, which operates as a registered charity, help make journalism, educational and community-based media accessible to a wide range of communities. When people have access to free, accessible and trusted public media, it leads to more media-literate people and connected communities.

tvo.org

It doesn’t take much to change someone’s life

Making sure a child has access to an education can change the trajectory of their life. Even a small donation to a charity like Children Believe, which supports children’s education, can fill a backpack with school supplies like pencils, paper and books, or provide a student starter kit. A donation can even send a girl to school for an entire year, helping her stay in class and out of early marriage or child labour.

childrenbelieve.ca

Choosing the perfect gift this holiday season can bring a smile to someone’s face and can also do much more. It can make a difference, strengthen a community or even change a life.