At home...

1. Drop off gently used magazines, books, CDs, and videos at a local hospital, community center, or library.

2. Save spare change throughout the year. In December, donate the money to charity.

3. Offer extra veggies from your garden to the local food bank.

4. Collect old eyeglasses for organizations that recycle and distribute them.

5. Make personal-care kits for the homeless in your community. Fill them with filled with soap, shampoo, toothpaste, a comb, a brush, socks, and other everyday essentials.

In the neighborhood...

6. Rake leaves, shovel snow, or carry packages for a neighbor.

7. Bake cookies for a neighbor who is recovering from an illness.

8. Read poems and board books to younger children.

9. Donate gently used toys to churches, synagogues, nursery schools, and local charities.

10. Walk a dog for a busy neighbor.

11. Plant flowers and trees in a community garden.

12. Adopt a street. Keep it litter-free and beautiful.

13. Share a talent (music, dance, etc.) with neighborhood kids or the elderly. Be a positive role model for other children.

At school...

14. Be a friend to someone who needs a pal to talk to.

15. Shelve books at the school library.

16. Cheer your local sports team on to victory.

17. Help a teacher tidy up a classroom.

In the community...

18. Volunteer at an animal shelter, library, or town theater.

19. Walk (or run) to raise money for a special cause or charity.

20. Lend a hand at the Special Olympics in your area.

21. Host a “day of beauty” for assisted-living residents. Paint their nails. Provide makeup tips and wardrobe pointers.

22. Collect gently used soccer balls, baseballs, softballs, bats, and cleats for groups that need them.

23. Lend a hand at a fundraiser to promote community spirit.

In the world...

24. Send holiday cards to the servicemen and servicewomen who protect our country.

25. Practice random acts of kindness often.