The holiday season brings with it a spirit of giving not just to friends and family, but to those less fortunate. Oklahoma City has plenty of opportunities to volunteer this year. Here are a few options:

1. The City Rescue Mission, which aims to help the homeless and hungry in OKC, has its annual Christmas Banquet on Christmas Day, and has plenty of jobs that need to be filled.

2. Citizens Caring for Children needs help sorting gifts for its Joy 4 Kids event, which provides gifts to foster children around the state.

3. The Center for Children and Families, in Norman, provides hundreds of children in need and their families with gifts and important essentials through its Holiday Wishes program. There are plenty of ways to help with the program.

4. The Salvation Army is always looking for people to ring its signature bells, as well as adopt an angel from an angel tree.

5. If you prefer animals over people, the Humane Society is always looking for volunteers to help at the adoption center or adoption events around town. Who knows? Maybe you’ll bring home a furry friend for the holidays.

6. Sharing Tree, formerly known as the Christmas Connection, creates a free holiday shopping experience for children and families in need. Volunteers are needed to sort donations, stock shelves, hang coats and clothing and complete variety of other tasks.

7. Sunbeam Family Service’s A Very Giving Christmas is another shopping experience for families in need.

8. The Children’s Rehabilitation Center in Bethany needs helpers to collect items the hospital needs or adopt an individual patient’s wish list.

9. Help teachers in need by volunteering at Feed the Children’s Teacher Store, providing books and supplies to teachers in Title 1 schools across our state free of charge.

10. Lastly, there is Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child, which sends gifts and essentials to children in need in 150 countries around the world. You can put together a box, or even a few boxes, of gifts and supplies and take them to a local drop-off station.

No one can force you to volunteer your time and/or money. Just know you could make this Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa someone’s best-ever. Happy Holidays!