Some time ago, I received a call from a woman in our community who wanted to help during the holidays. Years before, she had been the recipient of one of our holiday assistance programs, and now she wanted to give back.

She helped coordinate our Angel Tree program, which impacted the lives of hundreds of children. She also brought her daughter with her to volunteer, creating a legacy of service in her own family. Her daughter continued to volunteer and support the program even after her mom passed away a few years later.

Every time I hear one of these stories, it brings a smile to my face. I’ve seen so many families who received assistance in the past come back and provide that help to other families. Those kinds of experiences are what bring the most joy in holiday service. Strengthening families and communities during the holidays isn’t just about giving out toys — it’s about building relationships with neighbors and connecting to others.

So how can you make sure that your holiday service is building those connections and leading to long-term impact? We live in a very generous community. People in Utah County are passionate about giving of their time and resources to support others during the holiday season. This is a great blessing, but it’s important to make sure that your gifts of time and resources — often given at great personal sacrifice — will have a real, long-lasting impact.

One way to help ensure that your holiday service is meaningful is to look for ways to add a long-element to your project. For example, we often have generous sponsors in our Sub for Santa program that want to provide Christmas gifts for ten or more families. This year, instead of sponsoring ten families, consider sponsoring seven families with gifts and donating the other funds to year-round programs that can help families get back on their feet. By doing so, you will not only ensure that families can receive long-term help, but you will also be allowing other sponsors the opportunity to help at Christmas.

Another important step to make sure that your projects are having the most impact during the holidays is to ask what the greatest needs are. United Way’s volunteer center is a great resource to help you identify the places where your gift of time or funds can have the most significant impact. Sometimes the programs that need the most support aren’t the most visible ones in the community.

For many families, the best Christmas giving tradition is to commit to make a difference throughout the upcoming year. The holidays are a wonderful time to research what consistent, long-term volunteer opportunities are available and identify which one will work best for your family. Whether you are interested in supporting early literacy by tutoring students once a week or helping families find economic stability by providing free tax help, there is a volunteer opportunity for you that will strengthen our community for years to come.

If your family is interested in holiday-specific volunteer projects, there are several opportunities to get involved in the next two months. The Sub for Santa and Angel Tree programs also need sponsors and volunteers starting in mid-November to help make sure families not only have Christmas help but access to resources that can help them all year long.

By taking advantage of the holiday giving spirit in the right way, we can make sure that our time and resources have an impact for years to come. Together, we can help our community grow stronger, more connected, and more resilient. So this holiday season, we should all commit to make a difference not only for this year, but for years beyond.

To learn more about holiday giving and volunteer opportunities, please call United Way of Utah County at 801-374-2588.

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