The upcoming holidays help us all think about the things to be thankful for and it can also put us in a giving spirit. So with Family Volunteer Day being just days away – on Nov. 22^nd – it’s time to gather the family and take part in volunteer efforts to help those in need!

Build more memories together as a family with volunteer work. It can also help children learn the values of kindness and giving back!

Volunteer opportunities are endless, so find a project near you at GenerationOn.org or download its various do-it-at-home project guides.

To give you some thoughts on how you and your family can volunteer around the holidays, consider:

• Helping first responders - Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund
• Helping children and youth - Long Island Head Start
• Helping in the area of health & wellness - Public CPR Program
• Helping prep a community garden - Trinity Lutheran Community Garden
• Helping seniors get up to date on technology - Glen Cove Senior Center
• Helping around park events - US Fish and Wildlife Service – Long Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex
• Helping with cleanup around natural disaster - Long Island Volunteer Center – Disaster Recovery
• Helping with homebuilding - Habitat for Humanity Suffolk County
• Helping sort books - The Book Fairies
• Helping with children’s programs - Long Island Children’s Museum; The Carver Center
• Helping support the terminally ill and disabled community - Art Without Walls
• Helping support food rescue efforts - County Harvest; The Carver Center

There are also a number of other charities you can look into right on Long Island for ways to give back around the holidays.

Photo by BSK, via Free Images.