Start Planning Now for Your Holiday Giving & Outreach

Community engagement is a cornerstone of the STARR Site Certification for good reason: it fosters happier, healthier workplaces and serves as a force for good locally, while connecting research to the community and building trust.

The holidays are the perfect time to super-charge your engagement and spread joy. Here are 10 community-building holiday giving campaigns that uplifts staff, volunteers, and the community:

🎁 1. Host a “Giving Tree” for Local Mental Health Organizations

Set up a small tree in your waiting area with ornaments representing donation items (e.g., warm socks, hygiene kits, gift cards). Staff and participants can choose an ornament to fulfill. Partner with a local shelter or mental health nonprofit to distribute items.

🍪 2. Support a Social Enterprise

Partner with local Clubhouse, YMCA, or community mental health center to purchase treats, crafts, or gifts made by their members or clients. Give them to patient volunteers, another community organization, or even your referral partners.

🧣 3. “Warm Wishes” Drive

Collect winter essentials (blankets, hats, gloves) for individuals in your programs or local community centers. Include handwritten encouragement notes from staff and volunteers.

💌 4. Holiday Card Exchange

Invite volunteers and staff to create holiday cards with positive messages or artwork. Cards can be shared anonymously with others in treatment or with local inpatient facilities to brighten spirits.

☕ 5. Community Coffee & Conversation

Host a low-key open house or hot cocoa event for participants, families, and community partners. Use it to build connection and reduce stigma—no recruitment, just goodwill and warmth.

🕯️ 6. “Light the Path” Tribute Wall

Set up a wall or area where people can post names or messages honoring someone who inspires hope in mental health recovery. Share anonymized notes on social media or in your newsletter.

🥫 7. Holiday Food or Hygiene Kit Assembly

Organize a volunteer day for staff and participants to assemble care kits for local shelters or outreach programs. Simple, tangible, and deeply appreciated.

📚 8. Gift a Good Read

Partner with a local bookstore or library to collect gently used books—especially ones related to wellness, mindfulness, or recovery—and create a small lending library at your site.

🌟 9. “Pay It Forward” Staff Challenge

Encourage site staff to perform small acts of kindness—buy a coffee, donate a toy, volunteer an hour—and share their stories on a staff board or internal email chain. Build camaraderie and meaning.

🕊️ 10. Holiday Gratitude Campaign

Invite volunteers and staff to share what they’re grateful for this season. Feature anonymous quotes or artwork on social media or in your lobby to celebrate resilience and community.