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When Rabbi Stuart Weinblatt was growing up 40 years ago in Baltimore, he remembers that his father would always help out at the local police department on Christmas Day to try to lighten the load for Christian officers who hoped to spend the day with their families.

Today, lending a hand on Christmas Day — whether it's cooking meals for the hungry or pitching in to allow Christians to celebrate at home — has become a tradition for many Jews, said Weinblatt, a rabbi at Congregation B'Nai Tzedek in Potomac. "It's a time when our Christian neighbors are trying to celebrate, and we want to be able to help them make that possible," Weinblatt said.

This year, area Jewish and Muslim groups countywide are following along with tradition by making the season a bit brighter for those who celebrate Christmas. "On Christmas, we usually would otherwise just get Chinese food and watch a movie," said North Potomac resident Melissa Crow, who has worked in the past to organize a volunteer group through her temple, the Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation in Bethesda, to serve meals on Christmas Day at the Shepherd's Table soup kitchen in Silver Spring.

Many area Jews volunteer through the District of Columbia Jewish Community Center, which hosts widespread volunteering programs throughout the Washington area on Christmas Day annually, such as preparing and delivering meals to homebound seniors. However, like many volunteer programs around the holidays, faith-based volunteers are not limited to Jewish groups. Over the years, the day of service has morphed into a widely interfaith effort, according to Erica Steen, who directs the Morris Cafritz Center for Community Service at the DCJCC.

Started by a group of five or six people 22 years ago, the day of service has snowballed and now boasts more than 1,000 volunteers. "It's an easy way for people to give back to their community," Steen said.

Area Muslims are also pitching in this season. A national group known as Muslims Against Hunger launched its newly minted Gaithersburg and North Potomac chapter this year by serving up hot meals at the Gaithersburg Community Soup Kitchen last week. Giving back to the community around the holidays falls in line with the Muslim tradition of service, said Zamir Hassan, national program director for the group. "In places like North Potomac where there are big houses, nobody thinks there are homeless and poor people who need food," Hassan said.

The help is much appreciated, especially at a time when soup kitchens are facing an increased demand due to tight economic circumstances.

"We're trying to give a break to our Christian volunteers," said Thierry Nusel, the kitchen manager at Shepherd's Table. The soup kitchen has served about 127 meals each evening, regardless of whether there is a holiday, since its founding in 1983. "It's nice for people to be able to be with their families on Christmas." This Christmas will mark the third year that a group from Adat Shalom has served the Christmas meal at the shelter.

Another local charity that benefits from Jewish volunteers around Christmas is Stepping Stones Shelter in Rockville. Temple Emanuel in Kensington has "adopted" the shelter as a main recipient of their charitable giving, and Congregation Har Shalom in Potomac also volunteers regularly with the shelter. This year, congregant Marjorie Klein coordinated a group of volunteers from the congregation who wrapped gifts at a local Barnes and Noble bookstore to raise funds for Stepping Stones.

"You're not tied up doing a bunch of holiday preparations — there's no tree, no house decorations," Klein said. Har Shalom congregants who are looking for ways to give back will often volunteer on Christmas because it's a time where their schedule may be free and when they know others are in need, Klein said.

However, Klein added that shelters such as Stepping Stones need year-round support. "It's very sad that someone should be in a homeless situation at any time of the year, not just at Christmas," she said.