Why You Should Skip the Office Swap and Support the Homeless

If you're looking for an excuse to can the office holiday party and inject a little activist energy into your cubicle maze this year, look no further. Here are five reasons your office should consider bucking its holiday traditions in favor of providing a healthy dose of goodwill towards the homeless.

Reason #1 - You already have a Snuggie.

If that statement doesn't apply to you, insert the name of some other pointless product or unnecessary diet-busting baked good. The point is, we have enough stuff. Too much stuff, in many cases. And while I may be overgeneralizing a bit here, office swap gifts - fruitcakes, Easy buttons, desktop action figures, etc. - aren't usually the most meaningful exchanges. But supporting a family, child, or shelter in need? That's powerful.

Reason #2 - Your timing is wonderful.

If there were ever a time to nix your office's Secret Santa tradition, this is it. In light of rising unemployment and the economic downturn, homelessness in the U.S. is at crisis levels. Although the weather this November has been mild, shelters are already packed to the gills. Many service providers are afraid they will be unable to meet demand when the cold weather brings the inevitable surge in shelter guests. What's more, schools are seeing more homeless students than ever before.

What does this mean? That there's no shortage of goodwill to be done to help those who are hurting in your community. Which brings us to...

Reason #3 - There is a way to help that suits you.

When it comes to helping the homeless, there's no limit to the number of ways you can become involved. Whether you work in an office of 2 people or 200, there is a way for you to help. Whether you want to make a personal impact on a small family or reach out to as many folks as possible, there is a way for you to help. Whether you have a lot of resources or none, there is a way for you to help.

So here's a few options to get the wheels turning. Consider adopting a family in your community for the holidays: collect money, find out what's on their holiday lists, shop, wrap, and deliver! Or find out what your local emergency shelter needs and host a sock, blanket, or canned good drive. Deck the halls of a local shelter with holiday decorations. If your office loves to party, prepare a kick-ass holiday dinner at a shelter with music, gifts, and even karaoke. Why not?

In other words, it doesn't have to take a lot of people, time, or money to help the homeless during the holidays. The best way to find out what is needed is to talk to your local service providers. Call 'em up, find out what their needs are, ask what shelter guests would enjoy. And be creative. Helping people should not be lame and boring.

Reason #4 - It's good for everybody.

Many people volunteer because it makes them feel good. That's important. It's also important to know that the beneficiaries of these acts - those who are being served - are much better off as well. In other words, when it comes to volunteering, everybody wins. And if you - the volunteer - learn something new about homelessness along the way, that's just icing on the cake.

Reason #5 - This could be the start of a beautiful friendship.

Sure, today your office is just collecting cans for the local shelter. But perhaps next month your office recruits new hires out of the local job training program for formerly homeless individuals. Today your office adopts a homeless family for the holidays. But next year maybe your office adopts family-friendly workplace policies thanks to their new-found appreciation of the hurdles faced by single mothers. You never know what kinds of great things can happen when you start bridging connections within your community.

Click here to learn about more ways you can help the homeless.

Image: Manna Food Pantries