Just don't be surprised if your family finds itself hooked on the feel-good aspects of giving-not-getting, and if charity becomes part of your family's tradition.

ONE FAMILY'S EXAMPLE

Karen Wolverton, Vancouver-based founder of natural cosmetics company Lush, is an avid year-round volunteer. But over the holidays, she and her family kick things up a couple notches.

Wolverton and her 13-year-old daughter Chloe donate trees to the annual Festival Of Trees fundraiser for the BC Children's Hospital. Mother and daughter buy trees, decorate them, and submit into competition at the event, which raises money when people make a donation to vote for the best tree. Winter 2009 will be Chloe's 9th year participating! She funds her trees by selling calendars of her own artwork, says her mother.

Wolverton says that one of the great things about involving your kids in altruism is the perspective it provides. "Chloe has became more aware of how fortunate she is – for her health, our family and the privileges she has," says her mom.

VOLUNTEERING = TOGETHER-TIME

Working together on fundraising or volunteer projects is also a great opportunity for quality time. "I seek out different opportunities to volunteer and Chloe is always by my side," says Wolverton.

Chloe herself adds: "My mom's been taking me to meetings and events since I was a baby. Our most precious [holiday] time is when we are at the Festival of Trees. We hang out together as a family doing something different – and at the end of the day we're really proud that we can give back as a family," says Chloe.

PASSIONATE PARENTS = LESS-LAME PARENTS

Volunteers get a lot from their offering up their time. They gain self-esteem, a sense of purpose, and even job skills. Plus one less spoken-about benefit that any parent of judgmental 'tweens and teens will nonetheless value: Your kid's respect.

Kids respect adults who practice what they preach, and who are doing their best to make the world a better place. They also like to see their parents motivated and inspired about a cause.

"Seeing my mom work really hard and passionately through her volunteer work has shown me what it means to give back," says Chloe. "I saw that it was stressful and exhausting at times – but she was always happy while doing it!"

ADDED BENEFITS

You can set a great example through your own genuine love of volunteering, says Dr. Charles Goodstein, an adolescent psychiatrist at Englewood Hospital and Medical Centre, of New Jersey. "Children who observe the philanthropy of a parent and recognize that that philanthropy is genuine, a facet of the daily emotional existence of the parent and not a pro forma activity, will very probably identify with parental attitudes," says Dr. Goodstein.

(TIP: Make sure the volunteer work you do is something you love, not something you do grudgingly. Enjoy working with your hands? Volunteer on a Habitat for Humanity build. Thrive on animal company? Foster animals for your local humane society. Huge people-person? Deliver meals for Meals On Wheels.)

Besides picking up on your penchant for volunteer work, says Dr. Goodstein, there's a strong likelihood your children will develop empathy and a concern for others that will manifest itself "in the way that they treat people in general," says the doctor.

Vancouver's Wolverton agrees. "Chloe is generous in every aspect of her life because she sees how much happiness generosity can bring to people," she says.

HOW TO: GIVE BACK THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

Getting started is easy, whether you want to make a donation or put in a volunteer shift. Like the Wolvertons, you may find volunteering becomes a year-round lifestyle habit. But if that's not an option, even donating or volunteering in small bursts makes a difference. Why not:

• Volunteer at your local food bank or pantry. Serve meals or sort donations. Keep in mind many food banks have minimum ages for volunteers. If you want your kids to help out, why not organize your own daycare/classroom/workplace food drive instead?
  
• Donate to a local food bank. High-demand pantry items include: canned protein (stews, chili, tuna, meats, beans), pasta sauces, mac and cheese, pastas, cereals and personal-care items like toilet paper, shampoo, toothpaste and brushes, non-newborn diapers and feminine hygiene products.
• Clean out your purse and piggy bank. Donate what you've got right now – or a set percentage – whether it's $100 or $20. WorldVision's online gift catalogue lets you give gifts to families and communities in the developing world (and Canada) – everything from school books and soccer balls to hens and roosters and even latrines and water pumps.
• Make a micro-loan donation. Microfinance, as espoused by Kiva.org and the Nobel Prize-winning Grameen Foundation lets donors finance no-collateral loans to small entrepreneurs (usually women) in the developing world. For as little as $25 you can help families become self-sufficient. As the borrowers pay back their microloan (default rates average under 5 percent) it gets recycled into loans for other recipients.
• Donate blood. According to Canadian Blood Services, over half of all Canadians will either need a blood donation or have a family member who needs one. Further, every donation can save up to three lives – now that's a holiday gift that keeps giving. And it doesn't cost you a penny! (Which makes it a great corporate-donation strategy too: Get your office team to take the afternoon off and go to a blood-donor clinic.)