We could all use a little more love and kindness these days. One of the best ways to teach kids kindness is to model it — and get them involved!
We’ve put together local resources and simple ways your family can give back this December. Choose one item a week to keep it easy. Many of these acts cost nothing and can instantly brighten someone’s day while helping instill gratitude in our kids (and us!).
READ: 10 Engaging & Fun Ways to Involve Your Kids in Giving Back
We hope these small acts spark conversations about giving and inspire your family to do even more. Check out the links below for details, wish lists, addresses, and how to donate — and bookmark this page for later.
We can’t wait to see your little ones in action. Download the list and use #JMKidsGiveBack to share the good happening in Jacksonville!
Week of Dec. 1–Dec. 7
Donate a toy or sign up to volunteer at The Giving Closet Project’s 6th Annual Holiday Give Back. The Giving Closet Project hosts an annual toy drive so that Jacksonville families in need can still experience the spirit of the holidays. Let your child pick out a gift from their Amazon Wish List! This activity lets your kids feel the joy of choosing something special for another child while teaching empathy and generosity. You can also sign up here to help out at the event on December 11.
Bake cookies and deliver them to a neighbor. Weekends are great for baking. Surprise someone in your neighborhood with a few freshly baked treats!
Donate winter care items to LGBTQIA+ youth through JASMYN. JASMYN supports LGBTQIA+ young people in Jacksonville by creating a safe space, providing health and wellness services, offering youth development opportunities, and bringing people and resources together to promote equality and human rights. Donate warm clothing to their Winter Care Bags Drive or learn about one of the many other ways you can support LGBTQIA+ youth in our area.
Read to animals through the Pawsitive Reading Program. Pawsitive Reading at the Jacksonville Humane Society is an enrichment program for kids, dogs, and cats — and hearing a person read is proven to help lower stress levels in animals. Must attend an orientation first; click here for details.
Write a thank-you note to your teacher or school administrator. Tell your teacher or a hard-working school staff member (or both!) that you appreciate them and that they’re doing a good job. We all could use a few genuine words of kindness!
Sign up for a Feeding Northeast Florida Family Day. Once a month, Feeding Northeast Florida invites families with children ages 5–10 to make a difference in the fight against hunger through a specially designed program of meaningful, age-appropriate volunteer activities. This includes orientation, a warehouse tour, education about food insecurity, and hands-on volunteering opportunities. Learn more and register here.
Give someone a random compliment. Who doesn’t love a good compliment? Say a few nice words to a friend or a stranger and make their day!
Week of Dec. 8–14
Support the Dreams Come True toy drive. Purchasing the right toys or gifts can be a very stressful time for Dreams Come True families due to the financial strain of ongoing medical treatments. This season, more than 150 families will visit the shop to choose the perfect gifts for their children. That means they need 4,000+ toys to make the magic happen! Shop their Amazon Wish List through December 16. Click here for more information.
Register for the Wolfson Children’s Challenge. On Saturday, January 31, 2026, runners across our region will come together to raise money at the annual Wolfson Children’s Challenge. Featuring both team and individual races for runners of all skill levels, the family-friendly event aims to raise funds for Wolfson Children’s Rehabilitation. Click here to register.
Adopt a family through Foster Closet. Foster Closet provides clothing, toys, and other necessities to foster children. You can assist with Christmas dinner baskets, adopt a family, and/or access the most recently updated Foster Closet Christmas wish list here. Please email [email protected] to schedule a donation drop-off.
Donate clothing and holiday toys to Daniel Kids. Daniel Kids helps nearly 5,000 local abused, abandoned, and neglected children, as well as at-risk families, each year. Learn more about their toy drive here.
Leave a secret kindness note for a friend or loved one. The easiest way to brighten someone’s day? Write a few kind words on a piece of paper and leave it where they will find it later!
Donate diapers or wipes to the Diaper Bank for Northeast Florida. The Diaper Bank of Northeast Florida provides diapers to low-income families who are experiencing diaper need. Click here for ways to donate and drop-off locations, or donate to their Amazon Wish List.
Video chat with an older loved one. Seniors and older relatives could always use a little love. Wish them a happy holiday and show that you’re thinking of them with a surprise FaceTime or video chat!
Week of Dec. 15–21
Send some artwork to a long-distance loved one. Color a beautiful picture and mail it to a long-distance friend or family member to bring a smile to their face.
Collect items for the City Rescue Mission. The City Rescue Mission is collecting items for our Jacksonville neighbors in need. Click here to access the list of needs, along with the drop-off location. Children 12 and older are also allowed to volunteer at CRM; click here for details.
Put out a basket of treats for the mail carriers. It’s the busiest shipping time of the year! Brighten a mail carrier’s day by putting a basket of snacks on your porch for them to enjoy.
Make a card for a veteran or deployed service member. Send a thank-you card or draw a picture for a military veteran or deployed service member. Click here for the mailing address and to learn more about America’s Adopt a Soldier program.
Help a sibling do a chore or job. Think how happy your brother or sister would be to have your unexpected help with a household chore!
Donate wish list items to shelter animals. Jacksonville’s Animal Care and Protective Services (ACPS) wish list can be found here. Also, check out the Jacksonville Humane Society’s wish list and the Clay County Animal Services’ wish list.
Host a bake sale or lemonade stand and donate the proceeds to charity. Any of the charities listed here also accept monetary donations.
Week of Dec. 22–28
Donate to the food pantry at BEAM. BEAM provides emergency assistance to the Jacksonville beaches communities. Click here for items they need, including drop-off details.
Go on a cozy walk and help pick up litter. Clean up, clean up… everybody clean up! Help keep our community clean by bundling up and picking up trash, whether on the beach or in your neighborhood. Beaches Go Green offers many opportunities to help. Or make it a point to just pick up three pieces of trash you see in one day!
Donate used LEGOs through LEGO Replay. By donating your used LEGO bricks through LEGO Replay, you can help share the power of play with children who need it most. Click here for more details.
Paint kindness rocks and hide them for others to find. Spread even more kindness throughout the community with a little fun rock painting — decorate rocks with special words or messages to brighten someone’s day.
Donate clothing or hygiene items to Mission House. Mission House provides assistance to homeless adults throughout the Jacksonville Beaches. Click here to access a list of items that are currently needed, including drop-off details.
Hold the door open for someone else. It’s a small gesture that can make a big difference — especially if you throw in your biggest smile!
Donate non-perishable food to a local food bank. Mandarin Food Bank, Jewish Family & Community Services, and Feeding Northeast Florida all gladly accept food donations.
Week of Dec. 29–Jan. 4
Draw happy pictures in chalk for neighbors to enjoy. Break out the sidewalk chalk and draw some fun pictures outside in front of your home for others to enjoy.
Help animals by donating to the Catty Shack Wildlife Sanctuary. Catty Shack relies on community donations to support their endangered big cats. Click here to access their Amazon Wish List.
Donate gently used books to the local library. The Jacksonville Public Library accepts books in good condition. Click here for the library’s donation policy.
Donate socks or underwear to the homeless shelter. New socks and underwear are one of the most requested items by the Trinity Rescue Mission and Sulzbacher Center, one of Jacksonville’s homeless shelters. Access Trinity Rescue Mission’s list of needs and Sulzbacher Center’s list of needs.
Make cards for the waste collection workers. Gift-giving season equals a lot of boxes and trash. Show your appreciation for waste collectors by making them a thank-you card!
Donate to Habitat for Humanity. HabiJax could always use monetary donations and construction items for the homes they build for families throughout Northeast Florida. Click here for ways to help.
Make a list of ways you can help others in 2026. Keep the kindness going and make a list of ways you can help others throughout next year.
What is your favorite thing to do with your kids to show kindness to others?
