Enjoy the Season of Giving Year Round

(Family Features) From clothing to housewares to toys, your old stuff can go a long way for someone new. As the season of giving approaches, look around your home – you might find there’s more to give than you thought.

Because everyone knows it is what’s inside that counts, The Glad Products Company has teamed up with Katie Holmes to support its Glad to Give program, which was inspired by people using Glad ForceFlex bags for heavy donations. Together, they are on a mission to inspire and enable giving year round and provide an easy way to do so.

“Winter fashion trends may change from year to year, but one thing that never goes out of style is helping others by giving back to your community,” Holmes said.

Holmes also offers these tips to make giving back enjoyable for the whole family:

Make It Personal – Getting personally involved in a cause you care about is particularly powerful whether you are donating your time or personal items. Take the time to look through areas of your home, such as closets, kitchen cupboards and the garage, for items that may once have had special meaning to you, but are no longer needed. Donating those items to someone in need is a much better choice than letting them sit unused.

Be Glad to Give – Whether you’re giving to a loved one or a complete stranger, giving provides you with rewards that extend far beyond that moment in time. Holmes recently donated a bag full of her family’s winter coats to One Warm Coat – a national nonprofit that works to provide gently worn coats to those in need – and was happy to lighten her load for a good cause. Just fill a Glad bag full of your gently used clothing or household items for donation and go to GladtoGive.com to schedule a free pick up with a local charity of your choice.

Involve Your Family – It’s never too early to teach your little ones how to have a giving spirit. Holmes is always looking for fun little ways to involve her daughter in giving to others – wrapping presents, baking cookies or making cards are easy ways for them to spend time together and make a meaningful contribution to our favorite local charities or even a friendly neighbor.

Enjoy the Benefits of Giving Back – One of the best things you can do with your gently used items is to give them a second life. While 33.6 percent of overall giving happens in the last three months of the year, the benefits are felt year round as people who help others are happier and healthier, according to the Network for Good Digital Giving Index.

Signup for your free donation bag and find more ways to give back year round at GladtoGive.com.