Five “Warm and Fuzzy” Ways to Give Back
With the December holidays in full swing, (slow your roll, Hanukkah!), the idea of
giving back is on our minds. We adore spreading joy and love all over the world through our dough, but, overachievers that we are 😏, we always want to do more.
That’s why we’ve connected with the Food Recovery Network, a spectacular national non-profit that brings college and university students together to fight food waste and hunger.
How does it work? We thought you’d never ask.
Basically, students at universities all over the country rescue surplus dining hall food and deliver it to local "hunger-fighting partners." From there, the food gets served free of charge to the people who need it most. We honestly can’t think of anything cooler.
Throughout the year, we donate 5% of our net proceeds to this more-than-worthy cause. If you’re looking to give back through your school, it’s super easy to see if FRN has an active chapter near you. If not, there’s plenty of information on how to start one!
If you’re…ahem…a few years past your co-ed years, don’t worry. We’ve got a few other a-dough-rable ideas to get your “giving back” vibes going.
Spoil a teacher
Teachers are real-life magicians—capturing imaginations and passing along life-long skills with a few swipes of a dry erase marker. You can never go wrong giving them a little extra love this time of year. Especially, if they’re with your kids all day, are we right? 😂 A gift card is a perfect way to sweeten a teacher’s holiday.
Make a furry friend
Did you know you can foster a shelter dog or cat over the holidays? It’s the news we never even knew we needed! There are a few things you should know before sleigh riding over to your local shelter, so read up on some must know’s before you take the plunge. If the fit seems right, you could be giving a shelter pet a great start to 2019.
Send some holiday cheer to a soldier
Servicemen and women all around the world would love to hear from you—even if you don’t know anyone in the military. Shutterfly has put together a fantastic guide on organizations that deliver letters to soldiers and even a little help on what to say. It’s a few minutes out of your day that could mean the world to a hero who’s missing home.
Throw a party
Ok, this one may not seem so altruistic, but if you theme it right, a get together with friends and family could make a huge impact on a local charity. From offering to gift-wrap donated toys to a holiday cookie sale where all the money goes to a women and children’s shelter, there are a million creative ways to enlist the help of a crowd. Oh, and if you need some treat ideas, we’ve got you covered there too.
There are seriously so many ways to spread the holiday spirit! All it takes is a sprinkle of imagination, a touch of planning, and poof…you get the amazing gift of knowing you made someone smile this season.