As the holiday season rolls around, I find it is increasingly difficult to find places to volunteer, whether that be at a humane shelter or food pantry. During the holidays, these places are inundated with people who want to “give back” to their community, but for some reason only feel obligated to do so during the holiday season.

Holistically, volunteering is a great way to interact with others and integrate yourself into the community through service work and projects. It’s fun and seems to benefit those around, but I caution you from engaging in such activities out of guilt or a sense of obligation. 

One should volunteer because they want to, not for a sense of accomplishment, accolade and, above all, not for guilt. Volunteering because you feel guilty is the worst form of a savior complex. 

The UT Dallas Magazine  found that volunteerism increased by a 50% margin during November and December. It is pessimistic and erroneous to say this increase is entirely due to guilt, but for many individuals this sentiment of obligation is the difference between seasonal volunteerism and consistent commitment. 

I’m not suggesting volunteerism around the holidays is ingenuine nor am I suggesting it is a bad thing. Rather, doing a good thing such as volunteering, should stem from a place of genuine care and commitment rather than guilt or societal pressure. 

Any effort to improve one’s community is inherently positive in itself. However, the root of one’s motivation matters. There are many negatives of volunteering because of a misplaced obligation or guilt. For one, volunteering because of the season and the societal pressures surrounding it causes volunteers to focus on checking a box rather than engaging fully in the task at hand, which is detrimental to them and those around.  

Secondly, organizations often find themselves overwhelmed with temporary volunteers during the holidays, many of whom don’t return after the season ends. This creates a strain on resources without the long-term payoff of sustained involvement. After January rolls around, these shelters and pantries are left scrambling to fill their rosters, as the influx of holiday volunteers disappears. .

Moreover, guilt-driven volunteering can inadvertently foster a sense of superiority or a kind of savior mentality. When people approach service with the mindset of “fixing” a problem rather than collaborating with their community, they risk perpetuating harmful power dynamics. Volunteering becomes less about helping others and more about assuaging one’s own discomfort or boosting one’s self-image.

The solution isn’t to discourage holiday volunteerism but to encourage a shift in perspective. Instead of viewing service as a seasonal obligation, we should view it as an opportunity to build consistent relationships with causes we care about. Volunteering doesn’t have to be a big production to be meaningful; it can be as simple as committing a few hours a month to a local shelter and even donating clothes, books or food.

Ultimately, meaningful volunteerism stems from genuine care and commitment. It’s about finding joy in the act of giving, not because you feel obligated to, but because you truly want to make a difference.

With this holiday season, it is important that we look at how we can give back to the community without seeking something in return and simply engaging with our community meaningfully. The most impactful volunteerism is not seasonal, it’s sustained. 

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Riva Jain at [email protected].