Central Floridians are a reliably generous lot. But something about the holiday season makes many people want to give even more. That’s why, each year at this time, I share ways readers can make a difference.

Some involve merely clicking a button and making a small donation. Others involve volunteering regularly. There are ways to help families in need, pets without homes, adults struggling with debilitating illness and those with disabilities. See what touches your heart.

Give a gift that also helps. Consider buying holiday gifts from Blossom Artisanal (blossom artisanal.com) where adults with developmental disabilities make scented soaps and candles as part of Quest Inc.’s program to give special-needs folks a job and purpose. I visited this shop last year and left inspired — and with several gift sets to boot. Want to make an even bigger impact? After running a school for kids with autism out of a church in downtown Orlando for the past five years, Quest (questinc.org) has launched plans for a new permanent home with sponsorship opportunities ranging from $250 to $5,000.

Make a reverse advent calendar. Usually, advent calendars award owners small gifts each day leading up to Christmas. But Winter Garden’s Matthews Hope Ministries has come up with a creative twist — where participants provide a small gift to a neighbor in need each day. Matthews Hope helps homeless residents learn job skills and get back on their feet. And since the charity is looking to stock its food pantry, gift examples include ramen noodles, instant packs of oatmeal and single-serve coffee packs. You can find the full list at matthewshopeministries.org.

Help someone learn to read. The Adult Literacy League (adultliteracy league.org) makes little gifts go a long way. A $25 donation can cover a student’s first set of books while $500 can cover all the costs associated with tutoring for an entire year. The League also needs volunteers willing to spend one hour a week helping adults who’ve demonstrated the courage to ask for help reading and writing. Right now, the League has a waiting list. Your gift of time could help end that wait.

Help a crime victim. For many crime victims, the impact lasts well beyond the day of an arrest. That’s why the Victim Service Center (victimservice center.org) offers counseling and resources. Maybe it’s replacing a stolen cell phone. Or providing a Publix gift card to someone whose purse was snatched. Or an Uber gift card for someone whose car was damaged or stolen. The center can use gift cards of all varieties, which can be sent via email to Marketing@VictimServiceCenter.org or mailed to 2111 E. Michigan St., Suite 210, Orlando, FL, 32806. Or call 407-254-938.

Empty out a port-a-potty. Yes, you read that right. I know some of you like to give practical gifts. Well, it doesn’t get much more practical than this. The Christian Service Center (christianservice center.org) in downtown Orlando offers everything from hot meals to job training to more than 400 people a day. And the people who come, well, they also need to go. (The nearest public toilets are a mile away at Lake Eola.) The center is constructing new permanent restrooms. But they won’t be ready for another year. So for now, the center is pumping out six portable toilets three times a week. A donation of $1,740 would pay for a full month’s pumping. This ain’t sexy. But it’s a genuine need.

Help a lonely senior. The Meals on Wheels program run by Seniors First (seniorsfirstinc .org) has a long tradition of providing homebound seniors with meals and companionship. A donation of $315 will provide a senior with a full month of meals.

Help an animal. The Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando (petallianceorlando.org) operates shelters in Orange and Seminole counties and could use your help caring for all the animals. The Alliance has made donating as easy as clicking a button with a “wish list” that allows donors to purchase cat and dog food, puppy training pads and even milk replacement formula for kittens who’ve been separated from their mothers.

Help a Special Olympics athlete. For $350, you can sponsor a Special Olympics athlete for an entire year, which means you’d be helping them through next Christmas as well. That donation to Special Olympics Florida (specialolympicsflorida .org) covers all the costs for athletes, everything from sports training to health screenings.

Help a homeless family. The Homeless Services Network of Central Florida (hsncfl.org) wants you to know that donations of any level can have a meaningful impact — for those living on the streets and those whom the agency has helped find new homes. A gift as small as $14 can provide a luggage lock to help those living on the streets protect their vital documents while $200 can provide a “move-in kit” to a youth for whom the Network has found shelter. You can even donate $100 to provide a digital tablet for the group’s street outreach team, which collects data on those in need to connect them with services, so that fewer need luggage locks and more need move-in kits.

Support a caregiver. The Alzheimer’s & Dementia Resource Center (adrccares.org) can be a godsend for spouses and children struggling to care for parents and loved ones suffering from cognitive decline. Any donation can help fund support groups and programming. But want a really specific example? A gift of $100 can provide four “bath kits,” which not only contain soap and scrubbies, but also tips for making bath time easier — like when bathing suits might be appropriate, why bathroom mirrors should sometimes be covered and what kind of soothing music might make the experience less frightening.

Help an abuse survivor start over. When a survivor of domestic abuse arrives at Harbor House of Central Florida, they often do so with only the clothes on their backs. Harbor House provides many services, including shelter, counseling and help finding a new, safe place to live. Part of that means providing gift cards that survivors can use to purchase clothes, household linens and even Christmas gifts for children whose worlds have been rocked by trauma. You can donate directly to Harbor House (harborhousefl.com) or hand-deliver gift cards (Target, Wal-Mart, Publix, Visa, etc.) to 708 E. Colonial Drive, Suite 202, Orlando, FL, 32803 weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. More info at 407-605-3719.

Donate diapers. Talk about meeting basic needs. Many single mothers in low-wage jobs struggle to pay for increasingly costly diapers — something they must have if they want their kids to attend day care. Enter the Central Florida Diaper Bank (central floridadiaperbank.org). This holiday season, the bank has a “Diaper Drive” where you can just click on an Amazon shopping “wish list” and donate anything from a $10, small package of pull-ups to a $50 mega pack of diapers.

smaxwell@orlandosentinel .com