Giving to Charity This Christmas Without Spending a Dime

Maybe you're one of those struggling to figure out how to stretch your dollars this Christmas. If so, you're not alone. Experts say that high gas prices, inflation and a tight-housing market are making more shoppers tighten their budgets this year. According to a recent article in the Nov 9 issue of Time(www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1682375,00.html), consumer confidence was lower than at any other time since Hurricane Katrina hit.
Perhaps you're feeling even worse because you've always managed to contribute a few extra dollars to charity each Christmas season. If so, don't make the mistake of thinking that a lack of money means you can't help others this year. During the holidays, many local and national charities find themselves desperate for volunteers.

Your time and efforts mean plenty to charities trying to help the needy or poor in a community. Volunteering is also a great family activity. It puts things in perspective, encouraging you and your family to discover the joy and meaning in helping others instead of focusing on how many presents are (or aren't) under the tree.

Here are some ways to contribute to charity this Christmas without spending much money (or, in many cases, even a cent):

1. Volunteer at a soup kitchen. Many of the regular volunteers and workers are grateful for an extra helping hand during the holidays, a time
when their usual volunteers may be unavailable.

2. Contact the United Way for a list of volunteer opportunities in your city. national.unitedway.org/myuw/ . This organization has branches in nearly every town. In our area, volunteers make a huge difference . They can visit with senior citizens, help with Christmas arts and crafts, read to children in orphanages and children's homes and even paint and landscape the homes of poor and needy people. None of these things requires a bit of money, just some time and a caring spirit.