As we Americans prepare to gather with our friends and family around Thanksgiving tables, I wanted to share several ways that you can give back during the holidays (and beyond) on your phone.

Contact those you care about

Our phones can do amazing things, but none more powerful than connecting your voice with those you care about. Be sure to call those you love to let them know you are thinking about them.

Also, take some time to connect with friends you may not have seen in a while. No one minds hearing from someone they care about. Especially during the holidays.

Take your photos with Donate a Photo

Johnson & Johnson has an app called Donate a Photo that you can install on both Android and iOS that will allow you to take a photo and by posting it via their app make donations to your favorite causes.

It of course connects with Facebook, Instagram and other services so that your friends won't miss any photos.

You also get to choose the types of causes you want your efforts to donate to.

A perfect win-win!

Help cure cancer

Sadly, this app is currently only available for Android phones, but once DreamLab is installed your phone becomes part of something bigger.

When it’s plugged in and fully charged, each phone is given a tiny part of a research problem, processes it and sends the result back to the research team at Garvan Institute of Medical Research.

 

Make your runs/walks count for more

Charity Miles is similar to many fitness tracking apps that keeps track of how far you run, walk or ruck to stay active.

One very big difference though is that you choose which charity you want to have each mile donated to. You get out and get moving and your favorite charity gets money. How great is that?

Consider installing it before your Thanksgiving morning turkey trot or as a great way to get the family up and moving after eating way too much.

Available for both iOS and Android it takes something you should be doing and adds some icing to the cake. ;)

Support #GivingTuesday

If you were not aware, the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving is known as Giving Tuesday. A national day to encourage everyone to give to the organizations that matter to them.

This year I'm raising funds for No Kid Hungry to insure that no child in the United States goes hungry.

Every $1 you donate can provide up to 10 meals to hungry kids right here in America.

This year your impact will be doubled thanks to Hickory Farms and Kettle Brand Chips matching all donations up to $100,000 total!

Please donate what you can and then also give to the other causes you believe in.

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I want to thank everyone involved with the #LifeOnFios and #VZWBuzz teams for another great year of working together to spread knowledge about technology in the home and on the road. I've made some great friends through the program and I'm glad that Verizon FiOS and Verizon Wireless continue to support these programs.

Happy Thanksgiving!