photo: mbgrisby, Creative Commons

Why is this the busiest time of year for the US Postal Service? Because people are sending gifts and cards as a way to express their gratitude and love to their friends and family scattered around the globe. Ok, so maybe some people don’t have such selfless intentions, but nonetheless, this is the time to send cards, both eco-friendly paperless and traditional paper ones. No matter how or what you choose to send to people, consider sending a card this year to a stranger. Yes, someone you don’t know, but a person who would genuinely appreciate a card from you-seriously. And, with our sliding economy, a card is an economical way to bring some positive change to the world.

1. Send a card to a veteran. It’s a simple way to wish happy holidays to someone who patriotically served our country.

2. Although the recent election had a record turn-out number of voters, especially amongst young people, there are still millions of people who are not registered to vote. Send a holiday greeting to an unregistered friend and tell them how to register before the next election.  Voting is a civil right that we should be grateful for.
3. While this tends to be a Christmas-centric “holiday” season, strides have been made by retailers and civic leaders alike to be more inclusive of all the holidays that occur at this time of year. So, this is an opportunity for individuals to learn more about other holidays and religions. I’m not talking about sending kosher Kwanzaa-colored candy canes to friends of different faiths. I mean having a genuine dialogue to better understand and appreciate other religious traditions.

4. Did you know that 1/5 of all Americans still think global warming is not happening and the majority of citizens do not attribute it to human-causes? Now is an opportunity to send holiday greetings to a global warming denier and use the opportunity to provide a bit of the Natural Resources Defense Council’s information about the science of global warming. Indeed, at our current pace of global warming, there will be plenty of palm trees covered in tinsel and few evergreens.

5. How would you like to spend the holiday season in an immigration detention center? These places, which have been criticized for their inhumane conditions, include families and both documented and undocumented people. Immigration violations don’t warrant such a punishment. Contact your local Legal Aid  to send a card.

6. Does your local or national media outlet cover the stories you want to hear or care about? Probably not enough. This is an opportunity for you to send some holiday cheer to a media outlet about an issue you care about and ask them to cover it. We’re all tired of hearing about celebrities latest hairstyles; it’s time for our mainstream news sources to provide substantial stories that provide an accurate portrayal of what’s really going on in the world.

7. Letters from Amnesty International supporters have helped to release jailed human rights activists and provide much-needed emotional support to these dissidents. Send a holiday card through Amnesty today.
8. Thank the people who bring food to your plate every day. Farm workers work under brutal conditions with little pay and no benefits to bring fresh produce to you every day. Send a thank you to these individuals through the United Farm Workers.

9. Humanitarian aid workers live under stressful conditions every day to provide much needed health, educational and social programs to refugees, war victims and internally displaced people worldwide. This self-less work is brutal and often dangerous. You can thank them for the courageous work through the International Rescue Committee.

10. Your teenage years can be rough-peer pressure, angst and school stress. Imagine going through those years as a homeless teenager.  There are thousands of homeless teens who will not be with their families this holiday season. Send a holiday card to a homeless teenager through Covenant House which provides housing and social services to thousands of teenagers nationwide.