Extend Your Holiday Gift-Giving Beyond Family and Friends

You're caught up in the usual rush of the year-end season. Almost before you could digest the Thanksgiving dinner, you were inundated by video, online and newspaper ads urging you to buy Christmas gifts. And, caught up by tradition, that's probably what you're doing today, tomorrow and the next days until Christmas eve.

This year, consider giving gifts to deserving people who are outside your own circle of family and friends. As in old holiday illustrations, imagine them on the other side of your frosty, winter window looking in, noses pressed to the glass, hoping you'll think of them when you buy your holiday gifts.

You can find scores of organizations online that can help you decide on your gifts and how to get them to deserving people. Some include the Salvation Army, the Red Cross and the United Services Organization (USO), your local church or synagogue and many, many others. The best option is to find a charity or organization in your neighborhood, so your gift will have a direct impact on your community. Make a visit, take a tour, honest, hardworking charities are happy to show people, especially prospective donors, what they do and how they do it. You can also see how your gift will help. For example, it may buy a few meals, that you can see prepared, or will buy a new van, or other major item, if you are able to afford a larger gift.

In addition to holiday gifts, offer yourself to such participatory agencies as Meals on Wheels and Habitat for Humanity. Hospitals and nursing home can also use your help to give their staffs more time to spend with their families during the holiday season. Check with local agencies that are planning to prepare and give meals to the homeless, and pitch in some of your holiday hours to help make others as happy as you are. If you have any special skills, from office management, computers, web design, etc., volunteer those skills to local organizations. They can always use help in these areas. Or just general office help, answering the phones, filing, etc. Of course things like legal work, medical work and other professional areas are also always needed. The value of your time may also be deductible for tax purposes, check with your tax professional or the IRS.

If you'd like to help a loved one, friend or complete stranger now serving overseas in the Armed Forces, go online to agencies that specialize in getting gifts and greetings to GIs during the holiday season like anysoldier.com which allows your gift to go to a random soldier who may not have a family to send him or her one.

Don't forget to look around you. Neighbors, friends, co-workers. Maybe you had a good year during these bad times for most people. Consider spending a little more to really make someone happy. You can always remain anonymous.

This year, give holiday gifts, both the wrapped ones and your own volunteer hours, to other people who are less fortunate or are far from home. Then, when you gather with your own family, you'll know you've earned yourself a truly priceless holiday present ... the pride of giving.