Whether it’s the need for food, winter coats, or children’s toys, charity events abound this time of year. And of all the things we can do with our cars, perhaps nothing is more satisfying than taking them for a drive to benefit someone else, as so many car clubs often do each holiday season.

While it’s all good fun for those of us with an abundance to share, it often means so much more to the recipients. Trust me, I’ve lived it. There were times in my childhood when, through no fault of my own, the generosity of others got my family through unexpectedly lean times.

When I was eight years old, on the day after Halloween, our family’s house burned down while we were all at school and work. The only clothes I owned that day were the ones I was wearing until donations arrived. A couple days later, a local charity came through with much-needed replacements while my distraught parents dealt with bigger issues.

A couple years later my parents divorced, and my mother struggled at times to raise my brother and I on her own. I recall more than once receiving a holiday meal box filled with food donated by our church charity. I can assure you those meals were very much appreciated and tasted every bit as delicious as if we’d bought them ourselves.

As an adult who has maintained a fairly comfortable standard of living, I’ve not forgotten those experiences. We give regularly to a variety of causes that support those less fortunate, and at times we have delivered meals and gifts to people that are often overlooked.

Last year I started participating in a local Philadelphia charity food drive run by the Philabundance Food Bank. The annual Phila-a-Trunk event held in early November challenges area car clubs to show up with full trunks of food donations in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. Last year, despite having been let go from my previous job just days earlier, I went ahead and filled my trunk with as many bags as it would hold. Even at a low point for me personally, I knew I still had more than many people. This year, fully employed once again, I doubled up the spend. This event gathered more than 188,000 pounds of food donations, almost two-thirds of which came from the local Porsche club alone.

When we lived in Chicago, the big car club charity drive was Toys for Tots. Organized by the US Marine Corps Reserves, it helped ensure children in need would still receive new toys during the holidays. Our Land Rover club participated, along with numerous other car and motorcycle clubs. Trust me, there’s nothing more moving than a Harley owner rolling up on his bike while it’s snowing to donate teddy bears.

These are just a couple examples that I’ve been close to in my life. All over the country, car clubs and motorcycle clubs host countless charity events to support a variety of worthy causes. And while help is always needed and appreciated throughout the year, it’s these last couple months on the calendar that these donations seem to have the deepest impact.

If you’re lucky enough to have a classic ride and you haven’t already done so, perhaps this is the year to get involved and make someone else’s holiday just a bit more joyful.