Embrace the true spirit of the season by volunteering together as a family. Here, five first steps to help you get started.

• Call your local National Council on Aging (ncoa.org) chapter and see if there are homebound elders in your area who might appreciate a holiday visit. You and your children can bring along a home-cooked meal and dessert. Another group to try is the Meals on Wheels Association of America, MOWAA.org.
• See if your local animal shelter could use some help around Christmas; staffing may be short, and they might need help with some of the simple tasks, such as answering phones or playing with the animals. To find the shelter nearest you, visit Pets911.com.
• Contact your local homeless shelter or soup kitchen and see if they need help serving up a holiday dinner. You and your kids can work in the kitchen plating meals, and bring food there as well.
• Get in touch with your local fire department or American Red Cross and see about helping a family that could use some cheering up. You could package up an entire holiday food, gifts and all — and bring it to them.
• If there is a foster care shelter or children’s hospital nearby, call them for information about you and your family spending some time there during the holidays. Bring books to read to the tots, holiday story videos or games. You can even get a toy drive going in your neighborhood, then wrap those gifts and bring them as well.

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