5 Ways You Can Support Families in Need (Beyond Donating)

Because Love is More Than Giving—It’s Showing Up

When a family is in crisis, it’s easy to feel like money is the only way to help. But love is so much more than a transaction—it’s presence, it’s time, it’s action. While financial gifts are a blessing, there are other powerful ways to make a difference for families who need support.

If you’ve ever wondered, What else can I do?—this is for you. Here are five ways you can show up for families in need, no checkbook required.

1. Offer Practical Help Without Making Them Ask

When life turns upside down, even simple tasks become overwhelming. Instead of saying, Let me know if you need anything (because they won’t), take the lead:

• Drop off groceries or household essentials.

• Mow their lawn, walk their dog, or take their kids to school.

• Cover a shift at work or run an errand they don’t have time for.

Love is active—it doesn’t wait for an invitation.

2. Show Up With a Meal (Or Just Show Up at All)

Grief and stress steal energy, and one of the first things to go is the ability to cook or even think about food. A warm meal can be a love letter—nourishing, comforting, and saying, You don’t have to do this alone.

• Drop off a home-cooked meal or order delivery if you’re not local.

• Set up a meal train with neighbors, friends, or community groups.

• Include small, easy-to-grab snacks for hospital stays or long nights.

3. Listen Without Fixing

Sometimes, the best thing you can do is hold space. No advice. No solutions. Just listening. When someone is grieving, anxious, or exhausted, they don’t need answers—they need presence.

• Let them talk.

• Let them cry.

• Let there be silence without rushing to fill it.

Love isn’t always loud. Sometimes, it’s just being there.

4. Spread Awareness & Advocate for Their Needs

Not everyone has the means to give, but everyone has a voice. You can advocate for families in need simply by sharing their story, raising awareness, and encouraging others to step up.

• Share their GoFundMe or support page on social media.

• Tell their story in your workplace, community, or among friends.

• Organize a fundraiser, supply drive, or volunteer event.

The more people who know, the more hearts that can be moved into action.

5. Offer Emotional Support in Small but Meaningful Ways

Sometimes, it’s the little things that mean the most. A handwritten note, a check-in text, or simply reminding someone that they’re not alone can be a light in their darkest moments.

• Send an encouraging message or handwritten letter.

• Offer to sit with them, even if no words are spoken.

• Celebrate small wins, even in hard times.

Love is a Verb

At Love Runneth Over, we believe love isn’t just something we feel—it’s something we do. Whether through service, advocacy, or simply showing up, every small act of kindness creates a ripple effect of hope.

So today, if you’re wondering, How can I help?, know this: You already have everything you need. Your time. Your voice. Your heart.

And that’s more than enough.