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31 Service Ideas for January: Warming Hearts

ideas for january

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January is typically the coldest month of the year. Here are 31 ideas for January to warm hearts through serving others.

January is the first month of the year and got its name from the Roman God Janus, which means new beginning. January 1st starts the new year with goals people set to help better themselves.

January’s birthstone is the Garnet which is traditionally a deep red hue, but can be a pink, orange, yellow, green, blue or purple color. 

January hosts federal holidays like New Years Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day in honor of his birthday. There are also national days each day in January that you can observe to help others. Below are 31 ways to warm hearts by serving others this January.

This post is all about service ideas for January to warm hearts.

service ideas for january

Check out our FREE Printable HERE:

  1. Help promote world peace.

Today is World Peace Day. Help promote peace in the world by sharing stories of goodness people have done to promote unity, love and service for others in their communities.

  1. Get to know the introverts in your life.

World Introvert Day. Research about introverts about how you can be a friend for them.

  1. Check in on family and friends to see how they are doing.

International Mind-Body Wellness Day. Spend time with family and friends to see how they are doing in all aspects of their life. 

  1. Donate socks to a women’s shelter. 

National Sock Day. Donate socks to a local women’s shelter or to a nearby hospital to  help support those in need.

ideas for january donate socks

  1. Provide food and shelter for birds in your backyard.

National Bird Day. Help protect endangered birds by donating to a bird sanctuary or research ways to help feed and shelter birds at your home. 

  1. Relax and cuddle up with your family.

National Cuddle Up Day.  January is usually the coldest month, so one of our favorite ideas for January is to cuddle up with a pet or a loved one by the fire. Sometimes this doesn’t feel like service, but it definitely is.  

service ideas for january cuddling

  1. Honor a mentor who helped you succeed in life.

I am a Mentor Day. Today is a day to honor a Mentor in your life that helps you be successful. Honor this day by signing up to be a mentor for someone else or share your positive mentor stories on social media.

  1. Pamper someone who really needs it.

National Bubble Bath Day. Take bubble bath and bath balms to a friend who needs some relaxation in their life.

  1. Thank a police officer who works to keep you safe.

National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. Show your appreciation to your local police station by wearing blue and thanking them for keeping you safe.

serve a cop

  1. Send a houseplant to a friend.

National Houseplant Appreciation Day. Send someone you appreciate a house plant to bring some green into their life. 

  1. Thank people in your life that have been there for you.

International Thank You Day. Thank the people in your life that have been there for you since day one. Let them know what a blessing they are to you.

  1. Invite friends over for dinner.

National Curried Chicken Day. Invite friends over to share a curried or other delicious meal. Think of friends you haven’t seen for awhile or ones you would like to get to know better. 

  1. Make something creative today.

National Sticker Day. Make some stickers or other creative items to give away to friends and family. 

  1. Dress up a pet and take them for a walk. 

National Dress Up Your Pet Day. Take a dressed up pet or a friend’s pet for a walk to meet some kids.

service ideas dress up dog

  1. Do service for someone to honor Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Today is a U.S. National Federal holiday to honor the birth and life of Martin Luther King Jr.  Do service for someone who does good to spread love to all mankind.

  1. Celebrate a teen who does good community service. 

National Good Teen Day. Celebrate a teen who does good deeds for their community. Highlight them in some way for all they do.  Check out THIS post for 21 Life-Changing Benefits of Youth Volunteering. 

  1. Show class in all you do today. 

National Classy Day. No matter what you do today, just be classy and show a little grace to others. Be kind and thoughtful and recognize other classy people in your life. Look for the positive qualities in others.

  1. Host a teddy bear picnic with biscuits and honey.

National Winnie The Pooh Day. Plan a Pooh Bear or teddy bear picnic with kids. Provide biscuits and honey and read Winnie the Pooh Adventure books while the kids are eating. 

  1. Have a popcorn party with friends.

National Popcorn Day. Host a popcorn party with your friends.

  1. Use gift cards to buy a gift for a friend. 

National Use Your Gift Card Day. Buy a gift card or use your gift cards to get a gift for a friend to let them know you care.

  1. Give out hugs today.

National Hugging Day. Whether it be real hugs or chocolate hugs, give someone a hug who could really use it.

ideas for january free hugs

  1. Celebrate life today.

Celebration of Life Day. Honor those who bring lots of joy to your life. Celebrate them by doing something you all will enjoy together to celebrate living.

  1. Organize a pie night for the neighbors. 

National Pie Day. Organize a pie night with the neighbors. Have everyone bring one pie to share.

  1. Compliment everyone you see today.

National Compliment Day. Make it a point to compliment everyone you see today and see how their eyes light up.

  1. Make today a fun day by doing opposites.

National Opposite Day. Make today a fun day of doing things the opposite way as long as it is positive. You could even put your clothes on backwards or have your family eat dinner for breakfast and breakfast for dinner. Say no for yes and yes for no. Set rules, but make it fun!

  1. Do acts of service for your spouse or a significant other.

National Spouses Day. Do acts of service today for the person you love the most to help warm their heart.

  1. Make a chocolate cake to give away.

National Chocolate Cake Day. Make a chocolate cake to give to a friend who could use some sweetness this January.

bake cake for service

  1. Spend time with a child playing legos.

National Lego Day. Observe today by building legos with children. This is a great time to get to know a child better while playing in their world.

  1. Put together puzzles at a nearby nursing home.

National Puzzle Day. Take some puzzles to a nursing home and spend quality time with the older generation. This is a great way to bond together while stimulating your minds.

  1. Take a break from the stresses of life.

National Escape Day. Life gets busy. Plan a day to rejuvenate yourself by taking a hot bubble bath or relaxing while watching a movie. 

  1. Organize a hot chocolate party. 

National Hot Chocolate Day. Host a hot chocolate party and have each person bring something to share for the hot chocolate bar.

warm hearts

There are so many ideas for January to reach out to people to warm their spirits up. Some other ideas to brighten their day is to shovel snow for the neighbors or if you live in a warmer place, take them to get a shaved ice. Organize a snowball fight out of paper with the neighborhood kids or make snowball treats for someone special (check our this recipe HERE.)  Make winter survival kits for people to help heat them up or take warm goodies to construction workers who are out in the cold. Take soup to someone who hasn’t been feeling well or organize a winter sport activity for a group of friends. 

Whatever you do, remember to warm others’ hearts with 31 ways to serve others this January. Let’s serve!

Check out our FREE Printable HERE:

This post was all about service ideas for January to warm hearts.