November is known as the month for feasting among friends and family, being grateful for those around you, and for the ability to return kindness to the community. With Thanksgiving at the end of the month, there are many ways to experience and share the spirit of appreciation before the feast. Enjoy the pumpkin spice before the seasonal flavor changes, and delve into these 10 ideas to express the season of gratitude by giving back in many different ways.

Hot and Ready Meals, Please
One of the most common ways to give back to your community has been to volunteer with your local soup kitchen, preparing food and serving those who need a warm meal. Currently, there are four soup kitchens/food banks in the Bozeman area: Fork & Spoon, Gallatin Valley Food Bank, Big Sky Youth Empowerment, and the Salvation Army.

Donate, Donate, Donate
Donating to a good cause is always a go-to in the season of giving. Some popular nonprofits include Haven, which specializes in serving survivors of domestic violence, sex trafficking, and stalking in Gallatin Valley; Heart of the Valley Animal Shelter, an open admission shelter that reunites lost pets with their families, houses stray animals towards their forever homes, and provides programs and services designed to bring the community together. Eagle Mount celebrates all abilities and aims to remove barriers to recreation, serving individuals with disabilities of all ages, including people with cancer. While a monetary donation isn’t always in the cards for everyone, there are other ways to donate. Some examples include donating blood to a drive, bringing warm clothing to a local shelter, taking household appliances, cupboards, tile, or other building items to the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, or participating in the annual Can the Griz canned food drive.

Raise Awareness for Local Resources
From advice on how to mitigate seasonal affective disorder to assistance with your job search, there are many resources to keep tucked away in your back pocket. To repeat an old mantra, sharing is caring. If the only thing you can share this Thanksgiving season is knowledge, spread as much as you can to those who may look to you for assistance. Two organizations to be aware of because of the extended outreach they offer are Suffer Out Loud, which connects people to professional resources that compassionately and effectively address mental health issues and illnesses, and The Help Center, known for serving clients with crisis counseling, advocacy, information, outreach, and support services in a safe and confidential environment.

Random Acts of Kindness
Sometimes the most impactful thing you can do is to be kind. Whether through an action or a compliment, these relatively basic acts of kindness can positively impact someone’s day. Examples of these acts of kindness can include helping neighbors with outside chores, baking some sweets to share, offering to pick up packages or bring in trash cans, and leaving someone flowers with a sweet note.

Friendsgiving and Happy Hangouts
Since its emergence in 2007, Friendsgiving has been one way people have spent Thanksgiving together throughout the month. There are many ways you could incorporate this special event into your holiday season, including inviting a college student you’ve befriended who might not have been able to go home to join your Thanksgiving table, inviting any friend, coworker, etc. to join if you have an empty seat at the table, or sharing leftovers if you accidentally made too much. Another way to incorporate Friendsgiving, or something similar, is to create an event to celebrate the friends you’ve made along the way!

Become a Mentor, Teacher, or Tutor
One way to share the gratitude of the season is to have a  “pay it forward” mentality. If you have a talent you wish to share, or a subject you want to help tutor someone in, mentoring is a good way to do so. Sharing what you deem “your specialty” with someone (or even with a group) is a good way to spend this season of giving. Share your favorite recipe, knitting/crocheting talent, or even your knowledge of finding the best downtown bars with friends both new and old, and family. There are opportunities surrounding mentoring/tutoring in the Bozeman and Big Sky Public Schools with children from Pre-K to 12th grade with the Child Advancement Project (CAP), offering one-on-one with children to increase academic and social competency and to enhance opportunities for academic challenge.

Volunteer At Your Local Animal Shelter
Heart of the Valley Animal Shelter is known for supporting approximately 3,500 animals a year because of volunteers and contributions. Between special events, donations, and volunteer options, there are many ways to assist animals that need forever homes, and the nonprofit that supports them. In terms of ways to give support, HOV has an Amazon wish list of pet and cleaning supplies that you can help purchase. Heart to Heart Park offers a wonderful way to make a gift in honor of a special pet or animal lover by sponsoring a bench, tree or structure to help create a future for homeless animals. Options for supporting HOV depend on age and commitment levels, such as child-friendly volunteering opportunities, becoming a PAW volunteer, and foster programs.

Volunteer with HRDC
The Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) offers services that help direct resources to local people in need. The nine categories of assistance are: emergency assistance; transportation; housing; food and nutrition; senior services; children and teens; energy assistance; education opportunities, and financial development. HRDC is currently looking for volunteers in the following areas: Senior grocery delivery drivers, warehouse cleaner, food prep, and Drop-in Center/Recovery: Facility Support.

GVLT Project Participation
The Gallatin Valley Land Trust (GVLT) is a great organization geared toward those who are passionate about land conservation and who want to play an active role in caring for the environment around them. There are different types of individual or group-oriented projects, with some open positions being trail maintenance and trail ambassador. Each type of project is tied to specific locations, with the mission of land conservation and improvement, and connecting people by the land around them. Some simple actions that promote positivity on the trails include picking up trash found on the trail, smiling to others on the trail, and notifying GVLT of any trail maintenance needs.

Remember to Care for Yourself
During the season of giving, it is easy to become so caught up in helping others that it’s possible to forget to help yourself.  Some free ways to care for yourself this season include taking a walk in your neighborhood, purposefully observing nature, facial massage, replacing a current favorite beverage with tea, meditation, and phoning a friend. If you have the means to dive into self-care, you can consider massage, acupuncture, a gym membership, yoga classes, dance classes, and similar activities.