1. Set up a holiday gift drive.  Get your friends, family or neighborhood together and start a gift drive. You could either donate toys together at a local shelter or raise cash funds within your community and donate to AACI’s Holiday Drive which serves nearly 800 children at AACI whose families are facing difficulties, this includes children of domestic violence survivors and new refugees. Every $25 provides one gift to an underserved child.  Give a gift today.   

2. Educate yourself on a cause. Pick a cause you care about and research about organizations in your community doing work in that area to help.  You can let your child pick a cause (animals, healthcare, etc.) and research community organizations in your area to learn more about the issues and how you can help.  If issues like improving health care access, supporting mental health, ending domestic violence or advocacy for minority communities are close to your heart, please check out www.aaci.org to learn more.  

3. Put together a care package.  Get together with friends and family to assemble a care package for a family in your local community. Through our AACI Assists program, you can adopt a family and view their wish list online. Each person or family is a recent refugee with a general description and a set list of items they currently need.   

4. Make a difference online.  Do you have a friend or family member that cares deeply for others? This year, consider donating to AACI in honor of your friends and family. You will be spreading the love twice as far by providing health and behavioral health services to low-income families and giving your loved one a meaningful gift.  Give a gift today.  

5. Beautify your community.  Making our community a nicer place to live is important to all of us. You can help by picking up litter, supporting public art or murals, or planting a small garden.  

6. Make someone’s day.  During the holidays, many people experience various financial hardships and/or emotional challenges related to grief, the holiday blues, and ongoing mental health challenges. Reaching out to a friend or a loved one to express gratitude for their presence in your life or baking them cookies to let them know you care can make their day.  To learn more about the inclusive, diverse behavioral health services AACI offers, visit:  https://aaci.org/behavioral-health  

7. Raise awareness.  One of the easiest ways to give back is raise awareness! Using your platform, you can inform your friends and family about causes close to your heart. You can share AACI’s social media posts on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to teach your community about how they can contribute during this holiday season. 

8. Send warm holiday wishes to a family at AACI. Many families aren’t able to celebrate the holiday like they’d like when they are struggling to make ends meet. Sending a thoughtful note is a simple way to let families in need know that you are thinking of them today and wishing them a brighter tomorrow.  Please email us your note at development@aaci.org and we can distribute them to families.