Celebrating the holidays in 2020

 

Holidays look a little bit different this year, but it doesn’t mean that we have to compromise our holiday cheer! Get into the spirit of giving back to our communities that have suffered so greatly in 2020. We as a community can help each other out and bring peace back into the world. Below are some ideas for gifts and donations that can help our community and our world.

Shop Crafty

If you like the idea of a thoughtful homemade gift, but would rather purchase one than try to make one, then Etsy is your friend! Not only are you supporting someone in their small business, but your purchase also comes with carbon offsets! Etsy provides this free of charge to the purchaser and the business owner. It is a great way to support a company that supports our environment!

Shop Local

If you can, shopping locally can help your community economically! Find out where the person you are shopping for likes to visit, whether that be a restaurant, clothing store, or even groceries. Picking up what they want and could need from those places is helpful to the person you are shopping for AND the local business.

Shop Crafty AND Local

Local crafters and makers have their goods available at the annual Strawberry Swing Indie Craft Fair, happening every weekend through December 20th. Organizers have put in place several safety protocols to allow vendors and visitors to safely interact. Find out about their safety measures and how to reserve your shopping opportunity on their website.

 

Carbon Offsets

Give someone the gift of carbon emissions offsets! If the person you are getting a gift for has a passion for the environment and also traveling, then consider the gift of carbon offsets. Although this year has not been a fantastic year for traveling, it can help offset their (hopeful) personal travel in 2021 or in 2022, or whenever it becomes safe to travel again in their area. 

There is also the option of carbon emissions offsets while some of us work from home. This option is great as virtual meetings, virtual school, and Zoom holidays have become the norm. Feel empowered by knowing your gift can help sustain our world moving forward. 

Learn more about carbon offsets here!

Donate

After the holiday season has passed, keep in mind the continued need for canned goods and clothing for individuals struggling across our nation and in our community. If you have left over items that Harvesters, a local homeless shelter, or your neighbors could use, consider donating your unused items. If renovating your space, check out Flourish Furnishings, which accepts furniture donations for people in need. 

We hope you have a wonderful holiday season, even if it does look a bit different in 2020. We still need to spread holiday cheer more than ever this year. Let’s help out our community and unite for everyone to have a bit of peace to ease into a hopeful 2021! If you are interested in holiday waste statistics and how to reduce your waste for a normal holiday season, check out our previous years blog posts here and here!