This post was sponsored by Johnson & Johnson as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own

The holidays are a time when family gets together to enjoy great food, fun times, and the joy of being with each other. We sometimes take for granted all that we have and forget about those less fortunate. The holiday season is a time we should find a way to help others. There are many drives to give to or you can donate some time and help an organization. Since my kids were little I always tried to teach them to give back especially at holidays. Here are some of the ways you can help.

Toys– We would purchase some toys for both girls and boys and if we had any holiday parties, we asked guests to bring a toy. We would take the toys and also create some “mom gifts” and bring them to our local women’s shelter.

Food- There are always places collecting food to give to families at the holidays. Check with your local food bank and ask what is needed.

Coats- I’ll bet if you go into your closet you have more than one coat. Pick a coat to donate to a coat drive or to a shelter. You can call shelters and ask what is needed besides coats. Jeans, hats, scarves, gloves, and boots are usually sought after items.

Time- Take your family and donate a couple hours to a soup kitchen. Spread holiday cheer and put smiles on their faces. Volunteering time for those in need can warm a heart.

Animals- Don’t forget about our furry friends at the holidays. The animal shelter would gladly accept items for the animals.

There are many ways to be charitable and some companies make it super easy for even the busiest person. We are all social savvy and love to share pictures. We can now help a charity, of our choice with Johnson & Johnson Donate a Photo app! Johnson & Johnson also made it easy to donate by purchasing a gift from the Save the Children “Gifts of Joy” holiday catalogue.

Donate A Photo– Easy Peasy!  The Must-Take Selfie 

Download the FREE Johnson & Johnson Donate a Photo app and every picture that is donated, Johnson & Johnson will donate $1 to one of its trusted non-profit partners- that YOU choose! You can donate a picture every day. You have the ability to share your donated photo via Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram bringing awareness to the cause that’s close to your heart.

• Learn more at donateaphoto.com/en_US or download the app at the app store.
• Johnson & Johnson has curated a list of trusted causes, and you can donate a photo to one cause, once a day. Each cause will appear in the app until it reaches its goal, or the donation period ends. If the goal isn’t reached, the cause will still get a minimum donation. 

Save the Children “Gifts of Joy” catalogue

When you purchase from the “Gifts of Joy” catalogue Johnson & Johnson will match each donation (up to $450,000). The Save the Children’s emergency programs help to support basic health and hygiene needs for families. From soccer balls to goats to educating a child, your donation can have a huge impact on a child’s life. Johnson & Johnson has been a long-time partner of Save the Children and now it’s your time to put a smile on a child’s face.

 Save the Children “Gifts of Joy” holiday catalogue

How will you make a difference this year? Share your photo with us!