Ways to Show Kindness to Your Neighbors This Thanksgiving

Ask anyone you may run across, and if they felt comfortable, they'd tell you their own story of struggle. With the outbreak of COVID-19, many people have lost their jobs, their health, their companionship, and maybe even their sense of security. Our Christian faith calls us to love others and to love our neighbor (Mark 12:31), and now more than ever, our world needs an outbreak of love. So, if you are wondering how you can safely show kindness and love to your neighbors while still following your local COVID-19 restrictions, we have a few ideas to share: 

• Send your neighbors an encouraging card.

Kindness doesn't need a lot of money. Send your neighbors a card a few days before Thanksgiving and leave them a few encouraging words inside. Leave your phone number for them to give you a call to talk if you feel comfortable. Get creative and make your own card. If you have children, encourage them to do art for their neighbors. A lot of people will be isolated from their families this year, so receiving a positive note like this will be a wonderful surprise. 

• Offer to do simple chores or errands.

Many people are limiting their outings, especially if they are in the risk group for a severe form of COID. For many, this is leaving some errands undone. So, stop by your neighbors, and if you are on the way to the grocery store, post office, or library, ask if they need anything picked up or dropped off. You may even want to offer to do a few chores around the home, such as light landscaping or clean up. 

• Decorate with an air of thank you.

With the upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas season, express your gratefulness in your outside decorations. Create a few thank you signs that you can place in your home, especially for anyone in your neighborhood that is an essential worker. If you feel comfortable, head over to your neighbors that are elderly or disabled, offer to decorate the outside of their home. 

• Have a positive influence on your local community.

While you make your Christmas gift lifts, make an effort to shop at a local, small business. Many are struggling this year and are worried about their business surviving. Consider making lists of local businesses that you share with your community that give them ideas for gifts, treats, and goodies for the holidays. In addition, research any local non-profits that you can donate to or even safely volunteer. 

We are living in an unprecedented time, and lives around the world are impacted by COVID-19. Now more than ever, people appreciate kind gestures. Be an example of love, and show the love of Christ with a few of these small gestures of love and kindness.