Bay Area Volunteers Give Back on Christmas

On Christmas, many in our community take some time to recognize that, even in good times, people are struggling and need help.

NBC Bay Area's Scott Budman spent the day finding those good deeds. Lots of people and lots of groups came together to get out of their comfort zone and give something back.

Here's a small sample:

Volunteers at San Jose's Sacred Heart Community Center could have been relaxing and opening presents all day. Instead, they were giving gifts, and food, to members of the community who don't have as much.

At nearby City Team Ministries, more volunteers were giving up part of their day to help the homeless.

“I was homeless myself,” said City Team Ministries’ Charles Knuckles. “For someone to listen to you and touch your hand is a really big thing, especially on Christmas. A lot of people get depressed around this time, they don't expect much to happen."

In San Francisco, volunteers served meals at Glide Memorial Church and packed care boxes at the Salvation Army, changing their Christmas routines to put others first.

"Usually on Christmas morning we open presents,” Knuckles said, “but really, today is Jesus's birthday, we should do something for his birthday."

There will be lots of need in the Bay Area after Christmas. Places like Second Harvest Food Bank will be open again Thursday to collect food.

And, if you're looking for a way to donate near you, there's an app for that. This one is called Charity Navigator.

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