During the holidays, everyone is thinking about goodwill, gratitude, and good cheer.

This year is particularly special, though. As Philadelphians, it’s more important than ever before for us to stand together as a city of neighborhoods — a unified community, 1.5 million strong.

Both through charitable giving and donating your time as a volunteer, there are ways you can help support your neighbors and our neighborhoods this holiday season.

Give an adult dog a loving home by taking advantage of fee-waived adoptions at ACCT Philly

Throughout the month of the December, the Animal Care and Control Team (ACCT) is offering fee-waived adoptions on all adult dogs. Are you ready for a new member of the family? Adopt, don’t shop!

A happy dog is staring directly at you. His mouth is open and his tongue is out. His ears are big and droop slightly at their points.

Commit to volunteer an hour, a day, a week, or more in 2018 through SERVE Philadelphia

Philly’s the City of Brotherly Love, and SERVE Philadelphia wants to prove it with their goal of 100,000 hours of volunteer service in 2018! Volunteer needs in Philadelphia range from reading coaches to rec center volunteers to people helping out with park cleanups. Commit to serve today!

Two girls pack paper bags of food. Behind them are stacks and stacks of boxes of dry and canned goods. There's a banner that says, "Community Food Resource Center" in the background. The girls are dressed in winter coats and one has a wool cap on.

Use the new FUNDamentals donor platform tool to give directly to Philly public school projects

Music and art programs, updated textbooks, comfy furniture for kindergartners, and classroom field trips are just a few things you can fund using this new tool from the Fund for the Philadelphia School District. You can pick the school closest to your home or your heart and even check in to see the project’s progress. Even better? Principals, experts at their schools’ individual needs, pick the projects. Find a school and fund a future!

Young students in upper grades in elementary school or middle school sit at several keyboards playing music as part of a school music education program.

Help fight hunger by donating directly to MANNA or Philabundance

Philabundance helps thousands of Philly-area residents every single week and is always in need of help with food drives, volunteering, or making monetary donations. Along with them, MANNA is a nonprofit organization that delivers nutritious, medically appropriate meals to our neighbors living with life-threatening illnesses. You can support MANNA through volunteering or donating.

Volunteers wearing aprons and hair nets move cardboard boxes and paper bags around an industrial kitchen at MANNA. They are preparing meals to be delivered.

Help our homeless neighbors by calling outreach or donating your time or money to homeless programs

If you see someone on the street who needs shelter or services, call outreach 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 215-232-1984. You can also text SHARE to 80077 to donate $5 directly to programs that help homeless Philadelphians. Be sure to familiarize yourself with this list of available services and meal sites, too. Want to volunteer at a meal site or help with other homeless programs? Find an opportunity through SERVE Philadelphia.

A woman wearing plastic gloves gives the peace sign on both hands and smiles. She's standing in front of a table of plates of food to be distributed at free meal site here in Philadelphia.

Increase digital literacy and help our kids learn tech through donating or volunteering at these organizations

Coded by Kids provides free tech education, tech industry exposure, and career mentorship to kids who lack access to these opportunities. TechGirlz works with middle school girls to explore the possibilities of technology to empower their future careers. Schoolyard Ventures helps teens launch businesses, nonprofits, and other real-world projects that are meaningful to them.

Mayor Jim Kenney wears his glasses as he peers at a computer screen. On the screen is the Coded by Kids website. An instructor stands with his arm on the monitor and two high school aged boys are seated at the computer.

Have you committed to serve as a volunteer in 2018 yet? Do it now!