In the midst of fun filled parties, gift shopping, family events and crossing things off of our seemingly endless to-do list, many of us can forget the true meaning of the season. There are some amazing ways that you can make it more than just about getting presents and eating until you’re a new level of full.

Give Miles. Aeroplan’s Beyond Miles program partners with Canadian non-for-profit organizations dedicated to improving lives and enriching communities at home and around the world. Aeroplan members can donate miles to 10 charitable partner organizations such as War Child Canada and MusiCounts and more than 450 grassroots charities to help them offset costs related to travel.

Think global. Make an impact that extends around the world and consider a charity like Engineers Without Borders which looks to break the cycle of poverty by funding ventures that work with thousands of entrepreneurs, business leaders, planners and engineers in sub-Saharan Africa.

9.2Shop for a cause.  Honour your loved ones in a meaningful way with a beautiful holiday card from the Stephen Lewis Foundation. Your donation will help with various programs, including giving children orphaned by AIDS access to education; providing support for grandmothers caring for their orphaned grandchildren; offering counselling and education about HIV prevention, care and treatment; distributing food, medication and other necessities; and reaching the sick and vulnerable through home-based health care.

9.3Look to the community.  Make a change in your own neighbourhood by volunteering at the local shelter and donating clothing and gifts. Also look to empower communities around the world through organizations like Free the Children.  You can give a gift such as $50 for a dairy goat that will provide a family with a source of nutritious milk and sustainable income, or $125 for clean water for a family for life.

More information on donating Aeroplan Miles to these organizations is available online at aeroplan.com/donate.

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