25 Ideas for Random Acts of Christmas Kindness (RACK)

I am in SUCH a good mood right now! Thanks to the DIN (Do It NOW) challenge I ran last month, for the first time perhaps ever, I have all of my Christmas decorations (except for our tree) up! And it’s only December 1st! Thank you, earlier-than-usual Thanksgiving. 😊

We almost always put our tree up on the first Sunday in December after we watch our church’s Christmas Devotional. I usually wait to put up the rest of our decorations till then, too. I LOVE having my house decorated, but I often dread the process of putting it all up. (Anyone else relate?) Not this year! 

This year I had an itch to put up our Christmas decor even before Thanksgiving, but I held off till yesterday simply because I’ve been so busy. I have my annual Stampin’ Up! Holiday Stamp Camp tomorrow, and I’m frantically getting ready to launch my podcast in less than a month (December 26th—Boxing Day—to be precise)! 

I just completed a whole month of trying not to procrastinate on projects, and the momentum is invigorating. This morning I recorded a phenomenal podcast interview with Lisa Roers for her podcast Sunshine Cafe. I was again reminded of all of my blessings and the fact that I am exactly where I’m supposed to be, doing exactly what I’m supposed to be doing. Snow is softly falling outside, and I’m enjoying it instead of complaining about it like I have in years past. It’s a wonderful life!

Yep—it’s that time of year. Christmastime! The holidays! The beautiful season of giving. 

As so many other moms, I have a great desire to help others more than usual at this time of year. I also REALLY want to include my kids and help them learn by example the importance of charity. December is always a busy, bustling month. There are always hundreds of little things to do. However, I always want to make sure we take time as a family to focus on the real reason for the season.

At this time of year we celebrate Jesus Christ’s birth and remember everything He has done for us. We also try to emulate His giving example. I will never be able to fully repay Him. Fortunately, He doesn’t expect me to. I’m still going to do everything I can to let Him know how grateful I am, though—and I can show Him by walking in His footsteps and giving to others.

I completed this list of service activities you and/or your family can do from now until Christmas. I really hope you’ll choose to do some or all of them! Please come back and let me know which activity you enjoyed the most!

Are you ready?! 

Here are 25 Ideas for Random Acts of Christmas Kindness (RACK):

1. Donate gas gift cards to Primary Children Medical Center’s (PCMC) Hematology/Oncology patient families.*
2. Donate Christmas picture books to a local Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) so the families can read them to their babies.
3. Participate in an Angel Tree by buying gifts for families in need.
4. Donate to Christmas for Cancer Families to help brighten the holidays for families living with cancer.*
5. Donate to a local food bank.
6. Donate to The Winter Foundation to provide children in need (including foster children) with warm winter clothing and basic Christmas needs.*
7. Volunteer to bring a meal to Salt Lake City’s Ronald McDonald House or PCMC’s Ronald McDonald Family Room.*
8. Make homemade Christmas cards, and take them around to assisted living facility residents.
9. Make some treats and deliver them to the local police and/or fire department.
10. Give Amazon gift cards to teachers.
11. Pay for kids’ overdue school lunch balances or library fees.
12. Put a basket filled with goodies on your front porch along with a sign telling people delivering packages to “treat themselves”.
13. Tape snack-size Ziploc bags with some quarters in them to parking meters.
14. Randomly leave $1 bills around a dollar store for people to find and use.
15. Go to a restaurant, and leave a substantial tip.
16. Go through a drive-through, and pay for the order of the car behind you.
17. Shovel a neighbor’s driveway and/or sidewalk.
18. Go Christmas caroling to people who might be lonely.
19. Invite a friend/couple/family who doesn’t have much family close by over for dinner.
20. Volunteer to babysit for a young family so the parents can go Christmas shopping and/or on a date together.
21. Write kind notes on Post-Its, and stick them in random books at a bookstore or library.
22. Write and send letters to family members.
23. Write in and send cards to soldiers.
24. Collect change in a “Christmas Jar”, and deliver the filled jar to a family in need.
25. Play “Ding, Dong, Dash” by leaving gifts (big or small) on someone’s front porch and then doorbell ditching.

*Specific to Utah, but can be adapted

There are hundreds of other ideas, but I kept my list to just 25 for obvious reasons. I have personally done each of these suggestions at least once throughout my life, and it’s filled my bucket each and every time. Please comment below with your favorite way to serve others at this time of year! 

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I wish you a Very Merry Christmas Season!!!!