The Denver DM | Holiday Giving

A few ways to give love and give back to others during the holidays

Though visions of sugarplums and buying presents are dancing in our heads, let’t not forget to give back during the holidays however we can, particularly this year when so many different people are in need.

To help usher in some of that good ol’ holiday magic, here are a few ways to give money, support, or resources to the local community right now, while also supporting Denver locals and small businesses at the same time.

Denver Community Fridge | Started by a CU Denver Grad, this network of artist-decorated refrigerators are located throughout the city (i.e. Basecoat Nail Salon in RiNo and Huckleberry in Sunnyside) and are stocked with fresh food in order to provide free meals to all who might need them. You can make donations straight to the fridges/locations, including fresh produce, prepared meals, dry goods, and other pantry items, too.

The Denver Santa Claus Shop | Donate to this local non-profit that shares the spirit of Christmas by gifting children in need with a toy to open on the holiday.

First Descents | Give the gift of adventure to this local group that has not only continued their mission of helping young adults with cancer thorugh virtual offerings, but also has provided outdoor trips to 178 frontline healthcare heroes through their Hero Recharge initiative.

Happy Hour Handbook | Great for the home bartender, this book features a collection of appetizer and cocktail recipes, as well as tips and tricks, from the teams behind some of Denver’s top spots like Room for Milly, Death & Co, The Family Jones, and Brass Tacks. All proceeds from book sales will benefit the participating establishments that are currently closed due to Level Red restrictions.

Hinman’s Pies | A sweet initiative from this local bakery, 5% of proceeds from Cherry, Apple, Salted Maple, and Pork Green Chile pie sales will be donated to Project Angel Heart.

Bigsby’s Folly | The RiNo-based winery released a limited number of local artist-decorated ‘Colorado Strong’ bottles of Red Blend and Reisling, from which a portion of proceeds will go to the Colorado Restaurant Association’s Angel Relief Fund to support local hospitality workers in need.

Meek Vintage | One of our favorite local shops is collecting canned food and toiletries for Action Center Aurora - bring in some non expired canned food or unopened toiletries and you will receive 10% off your whole purchase.

For more ideas on how and where to give, we also love this list from 5280 and