During the holiday season we tend to be more charitable than any other time of the year, probably because we realize just how fortunate we are to have family, friends, a roof over our head, food to eat and clothes on our back. Meanwhile there are people who are going hungry and sleeping on the streets. 

I think to some degree if we have been blessed, we have a duty to be a blessing to others or so the Bible says: "For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required. . ." Luke 12:48

But you don't have to be someone who has been abundantly blessed or even well off to give to those less fortunate. There are things around your house that are probably collecting dust that you can donate and help brighten the life of someone this holiday season. 

Here a few things you can donate:

 1. Clothing items- We all have shirts, coats, shoes, pants and more that we can no longer wear or that we wore once and have never worn again. Wash those items and head over to your local shelter (homeless shelter, women's shelter, children's shelter, etc.) or Goodwill/Salvation Army and give those things away to someone who may desperately need them.

2. Books- I'm an avid reader as I've stated over and over. . .this means I often end up with books all over the house after I've read them. Admittedly, some books I will never part with, however there are those that I enjoyed but don't have a problem parting with them. Clean off your bookshelves as well as your kids bookshelves and donate them! Books are great "gifts" to give all year long but especially during the holidays. You can take them to your local library, shelters or send them to one of the many awesome online book charities that help kids. 

3.  Can goods- Although the price of food has noticeably increased over the past few years, most can goods and non-perishable items remain pretty inexpensive. Sometimes the grocery store even has a sale and you probably stock up on beans, rice and cans of corn. Your pantry might even look like you're doomsday prepping. Take stock and donate some of your supply to a food bank this holiday season. It will definitely go to good use!

Houston African American Bloggers (htxaab) is a blogging community for bloggers of color in the Houston area. I first learned about the Facebook group at an entrepreneur luncheon I hosted earlier this year.

I joined HTXAAB to meet and connect with bloggers from my community. I've attended many blogging events in the city of Houston and there has definitely been a lack of diversity. HTXAAB fills a void for bloggers of color to not only have a place to go for support and resources but also for brands looking for a more diverse group influencers.

I think it's important to belong to a community of like-minded individuals who can not only relate to the specific struggles of blogging, as part of a particular demographic, but who can also serve as inspiration to motivate and encourage you on your journey! 

(This post is part of the #htxaab September blogging challenge.)