Looking for some fun philanthropy events for the end of the semester but don’t have much time? There are plenty of things you can put together nicely on short notice!

1. Make Blankets- Host a chapter philanthropy night and make fleece blankets to donate to hospitals and/or homeless. Our chapter did this last year and had so much fun with it! Now I have made these blankets on my own before and they can be quite time consuming! But with “all hands on deck” we flew through a number of these blankets in only an hour! Not much planning involved on this one, just have someone buy the fleece and have everyone bring some scissors! (Maybe throw in some Christmas cookies, hot chocolate, and holiday music to set the tone!)Follow this link to find directions on making blankets: http://www.ehow.com/how_4392701_make-fleece-tied-blanket.html

2. Host a Winter Clothing Drive- Ask your university community to donate new or gently used coats, jackets, mittens, scarves, etc. for the less fortunate. You can find some large boxes to set out in heavily trafficked areas or set-up a donation station for people to drop off their items. Look online or in the phone book to find a local homeless shelter for the donations. Make up some flyers to hang around campus and send out a campus-wide email to promote the event!

3. Chili Cook-Off- The perfect event for a cold Fall day! Get together with other chapters on campus and have a culinary showdown! Each chapter can create a different chili recipe, and let the campus be the judge of the best! Set up some tables in a quad, lounge, or cafeteria to host the event. Ask for $0.25 (or whatever amount you feel is appropriate) donations to taste test and vote, and say a $1.00 for a bowl. Simple and fun!

The holiday season is full of opportunities to lend a hand. Check with local churches and homeless shelters to find out what they need or if they could use volunteers. Remember, it is the season of giving- what better way to get in the spirit than to give! We want to know- How is your chapter giving this holiday season?