Simple Ways to Give Back

(Family Features) The true spirit of the holiday season is giving back to those in need, and there are many ways to get involved in your local community to make a difference. Best of all, the holidays serve as a great time to teach children about the importance of giving back and how far small acts of kindness can go. To get started, here are some ideas that are easy to put into action this year:

Give Back By Writing a Letter

As part of Macy’s annual Believe campaign, you can bring stamped letters to Santa to your local store and drop them in the big red letterbox, or send a letter to Santa digitally through macys.com/believe. For each letter collected in stores and online until  Dec. 24, Macy’s will donate $1 to the Make-A-Wish, up to $1 million, to help grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. The retailer has raised $90 million for Make-A-Wish since 2003, with $10.8 million donated over the last seven years through the iconic letter writing campaign. Dedicate an afternoon to writing letters and then make a family trip to the store to drop them off.

Give Back By Starting a New Tradition

Generosity comes in many forms and there are numerous ways to embrace the season of giving. Start by taking a family poll of what give back projects you’d like to get involved in this holiday. From there, you can do research to find out what existing events and initiatives are happening in your community that match your interest areas. Activities could include adopting a family to fulfill wish lists, making cards for hospital patients, participating in clothing drives, volunteering at an animal shelter or taking part in random acts of kindness, such as delivering a care package to an elderly neighbor.

Give Back By Playing Interactive Games

This year, a new element launches as part of the Believe campaign – the Wish Writer stylus and app. Available at Macy’s stores and online, the stylus is a new way for children to play interactive games and write magical letters to Santa. Designed to teach children about kindness and generosity during the holiday season, Wish Writer users can play a series of games and earn rewards for good deeds. In true giving spirit, $1 from each stylus purchase (retail $14.99) will benefit Make-A-Wish. The stylus will also come to life in a heartwarming film featuring a little girl and her brother as they discover how a little kindness during the holiday season can go a long way.

Above all, the holidays are a time to reflect, help others and give thanks. To learn more about Macy’s Believe campaign and watch the Wish Writer film, visit macys.com/believe.