how to donate to families in need for christmas

by Fae Langworth PhD 6 min read

Donating food or time to your local soup kitchen is a great way to help the less fortunate at Christmas time. Another way to find families with needs at Christmas is through word-of-mouth. There may be co-workers who have suffered recent personal losses and might appreciate a charitable gesture.

Contact your local Catholic Charities, Lutheran Social Services or Salvation Army or visit volunteermatch.org to be matched with your recipient(s), ideally similar in age to your own children. After you learn the specifics about your recipient(s) (age, gender, etc.), brainstorm gift ideas with your family.

Full Answer

How can you help needy families at Christmas?

Adopt a family, donate toys to kids in need this holiday season, and more! See our list of how to give back this holiday season. The COVID-19 pandemic has …

How can you adopt a family for Christmas?

The HopeMatch Process. 1. Refer. Members of the community nominate someone they know who needs help with Christmas through our website in October and. November. 2. Screen. 3. Call.

What should I buy my family for Christmas?

Oct 11, 2021 · While generous individuals and families can directly help others in need of 2019 Christmas help, they can also make donations to charities, churches, and non-profit organizations that are usually providing Christmas assistance to local families and individuals in need. Donation to those charities helps them build the necessary resources to help people in need during the …

How to sign up for adopt a family for Christmas?

Mar 11, 2021 · The Salvation Army Christmas help for low-income families. There is one more Christmas charity program and organization that helps lots of families every year in the holiday season. The name of the organization is The Salvation Army. This is the organization that helps people with the Christmas gifts on the eve of Christmas every year.

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How can I help a needy family for Christmas?

Top 7 Christmas Charity Organizations That Help Low Income FamiliesMake a Wish Foundation. ... Salvation Army. ... Prison Fellowship Organization. ... Toys for Tots. ... United Way Christmas Bureau. ... Operation Christmas Child. ... Christmas Spirit Foundation.Dec 3, 2018

How do I donate to the needy family?

Help out a needy family by donating money or putting together donation drives. Gather donations through a local organization and put together special packages for the family in need. Help the family get back on their feet by donating items that might seem simple but might be important to them.

How can I help less fortunate at Christmas?

Perform simple, random acts of kindnessGive a generous tip to a friendly customer service worker like a waiter or barista.Buy a homeless person a sandwich and a hot drink.Help someone who's struggling with their luggage on public transport.Give up your seat to someone on busy public transport.More items...

How can I help local families in need?

Ways to Help Your CommunityProtect yourself and others from COVID-19. ... Help your local food pantry. ... Give blood if you're able. ... Volunteer your time. ... Check on neighbors and family members, especially those who live alone, are elderly, have health or mobility issues or are caring for children.More items...

How do you give someone in need?

GIVE YOUR TIME6 Donate blood. Donating blood regularly - or even as a one-off - is a great way to ensure that you're giving back to those who need it. ... 7 Volunteer your time in a soup kitchen or homeless shelter. ... 8 Take part in a charity run. ... 9 Get involved with Decembeard. ... 10 Sell or donate your unwanted gifts.

How do you help the needy directly?

10 Ways to Help the PoorContact local representatives. ... Donate to trustworthy non-governmental organizations (NGOs). ... Raise awareness. ... Hold Fundraisers. ... Support brands that have people in mind. ... Do Research. ... Volunteer. ... Divert money from unnecessary purchases.More items...•Feb 24, 2020

Is Toys for Tots a good charity?

Did you know that Toys for Tots is a top rated charity? 97% of your donation goes to our mission of providing toys, books and other gifts to less fortunate children. The 3% spent on support principally covers fundraising expenses – not one donated dollar goes to pay for salaries or any other manpower costs.

Can gray hair be donated?

Adults and children can donate hair. You may need to find out if an organization will or will not take hair that's been colored, permed, highlighted, bleached, or dreadlocked. Also, some organizations accept gray hair or hair with a certain percentage of gray in it, while others don't accept it at all.Apr 26, 2018

How do I give someone this Christmas?

10 Ways To Give To Back to Others This ChristmasBake cookies for local first responders. ... Pack stockings for homeless people. ... Donate toys. ... Visit a nursing home. ... Adopt a family. ... Donate to a food bank. ... Volunteer to wrap gifts. ... Take lunches to people who work over the holidays.More items...

How can you help your family during this pandemic?

Address children's fearsAnswer questions about the pandemic simply & honestly. Talk with children about any frightening news​ they hear. ... Recognize your child's feelings. ... Keep in touch with loved ones. ... Model how to manage feelings. ... Tell your child before you leave the house for work or essential errands. ... Look forward.Oct 23, 2020

What does Home-Start charity do?

Home-Start is a local community network of trained volunteers and expert support helping families with young children through their challenging times. We are there for parents when they need us the most because childhood can't wait.Aug 4, 2016

What are the things and actions that you can do to help those families who are in need of help especially the bigger family size?

100 Ways to Help the PoorSponsor a meal for a family or a person once a week.Sponsor the school fees or allowance of needy children.Share new or used—but still wearable—clothes.Help them pay their medical expenses and health care.Give them free dental care.Sponsor their children's vaccination.More items...•Feb 20, 2015

Shop for a Family

You commit to sponsoring a family and are provided with a personalized wish list to do the shopping, then drop off your donations at the beginning of December. We are using a website where YOU will get to choose the family you sponsor and get your wish list to shop for that family immediately.

Donate

Provide a “Merry Measure Match” that will be used to help provide for unmet needs for families in last minute situations at the holidays. These funds are extremely important to us providing a personalized experience for the families we serve.

1. Refer

Members of the community nominate someone they know who needs help with Christmas through our website in October and November.

2. Screen

Families are chosen after the nomination forms are carefully screened by trained volunteers.

3. Call

We like to surprise families with the good news that they’ve been chosen for our program by calling them.

5. Deliver

Each gift is wrapped and labeled by the volunteers and delivered before Christmas.

6. Chat

Families are contacted at the first of the year to determine their needs of the coming year. We then look for ways to connect the families with resources in the community that can help them.

Shelters

Both domestic violence safe houses and homeless shelters are a good place to begin a search for a family to donate to at Christmas. Mothers and their children stay at safe houses when fleeing domestic violence. These families often have little more than a few items of clothing.

Churches

Whether or not you belong to a church, churches are good places to look for families to support at Christmas. Church leaders will know of families within the church who could use a little help in making the holidays brighter. Churches may also host toy or canned food drives or a holiday meal service.

Giving Trees

Giving trees include paper ornaments that list the ages of children from needy families and the gifts they'd like to receive for Christmas. Giving trees can be found throughout communities during the holidays. Check city hall buildings, libraries, Elks and Lions clubs and other community center areas and organizations.

Fire, Police and Military

Fire and police departments often host events to support needy families during the holidays. Some may support a toy drop. Others host Christmas dinners for low-income families. You can donate food for the meal or volunteer to help serve on the day of the event.

Find Local Christmas Assistance in Your State

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Christmas Meal is a Tradition in America

By tradition, the Christmas celebration is associated with a special Christmas family meal.

Christmas is About Giving

In the USA, Christmas has always been about celebrating, family gatherings, giving, and receiving. And most importantly, a lot of people giving to help others will learn that receiving is not everything – it is always better to give, to help.

Christmas help this year

The Salvation Army provides Christmas dinners, clothing, toys for kids from needy families. All Christmas help and assistance are provided locally. Use location service on their website to find your local Salvation Army Community Center. To get Christmas help, you must register in advance.

How to get to know your neighbors?

One of the best ways to get to know your neighbors and those who are having a hard time financially is to invite them into your home and make them feel welcomed. Plan and prepare a dinner, have Santa show up for the kids, and make a special night of it with singing and learning about one another.

Can we save the world?

As individuals, we can't save the world, but as a world, a nation, a state, and a community, we can better this world in so many ways. Human nature allows our resources to expand and our abilities to grow. Join hands by being a part of an organization to help one another. Namaste!

Is Christmas a joyous time?

Christmas time should be a joyous time for everyone, however, every year we see many who have lost their homes, their jobs, their families, and their quality of life. Take a moment to contemplate your life and what would you do if you found yourself in the same situation.

How long to cook a turkey in the oven?

Prepare and bake the turkey 1-2 days in advance. Let it cool and then slice it down and place in an aluminum pan, covered tightly with foil. On the day of delivery, place the covered turkey in the oven at 325 degrees for 45 minutes to completely warm it up.

How to help a family in need at Christmas

When the holiday season comes around every year, many people have a lot of stress because their income is fixed and they do not have enough budget to spend on buying new gifts and clothes. Still, you are facing financial problems barely scraping it, then it is not so good to spend money during the holiday season for celebration.

Charities that help Needy families with holiday and Christmas assistance Programs

When Easter or another festive is coming around, many people do not care about these festivals. As Christmas is coming near, people are getting more and more stressed because of gifts and many other things. They think that Christmas is the occasion which is gifts associated while other festivals are not.

How can i help a family in need this christmas Holidays

Spreading happiness is the best gift for anyone, this christmas you can spare your time with people that are alone and homeless, there are charities that help homeless people with lot of free stuffs but you can help them with happiness and smile, Which no one can offer them.

How to teach kids to give to others?

Teach your children the value of giving to others during the holiday season by donating to a charity that provides gifts for needy children. Your kids may enjoy selecting presents for other children who are the same age as them. Choose from a variety of national charities or look for a local organization that's providing Christmas cheer ...

What is Operation Christmas Child?

A program run by Christian organization Samaritan's Purse, Operation Christmas Child that takes a collection of shoeboxes filled with toys, school supplies, hygiene items, apparel, candy, and a personal note. Select a child's age group and fill the box with items consistent for that age group.

What is the Angel Tree in prison?

The Christian charity Prison Fellowship Organization offers an Angel Tree program that help children who have at least one parent in prison. Through the program, volunteers deliver a gift and a message from both the Gospel and the child's incarcerated parent.

What does Make a Wish Foundation do?

The Make-A-Wish Foundation helps children throughout the year, but it also partners with companies to raise money specifically during the holiday season. If you drop off a letter to Santa at any Macy's location, the store will donate $1 per letter to Make-A-Wish.

Who is Apryl Duncan?

Apryl Duncan is a writer for the Spruce covering lifestyle and family. She has over 20 years experience in freelance writing. Teach your children the value of giving to others during the holiday season by donating to a charity that provides gifts for needy children.

Who runs Toys for Tots?

Toys for Tots. Run by the U.S. Marine Corp, Toys for Tots has been collecting new, unwrapped toys and distributing them to less-fortunate children since 1947. There are a number of ways to support Toys for Tots' mission, including purchasing a toy and donating it at a local toy drop location, shopping for a toy to donate via ...

Does Walmart have angel trees?

The Salvation Army also has an Angel Tree program in collaboration with Walmart. The stores have Christmas trees that have tags on them. Each tag has a wishlist of a specific child. Donors pick an angel tag, shop for gifts (not necessarily at Walmart), and drops of the gifts for the Salvation Army to distribute.

What do volunteers do at the post office?

Every year, volunteers in major US cities work with the Post Office to select some children’s letters to Santa to “adopt.” They buy gifts, which they then return to the Post Office branch for Christmas Eve delivery from “Santa.”

What is Ronald McDonald House?

The Ronald McDonald House provides housing to families of children receiving treatment at nearby hospitals. They are in need of new, unused board games, stuffed animals and dolls, books, puzzles, video games, moves and balls and other outdoor games for the thousands of children they host each year.

What is Samaritan's Purse?

Samaritan’s Purse is an evangelical Christian organization that works to help meet the needs of people who are victims of war, natural disasters, famine, disease and poverty worldwide, with the purpose of “sharing God’s love,” according to their mission statement.

Is juvenile detention still a crime?

Although children at juvenile detention centers are serving time for an offense, they are still children, and many of them struggle particularly hard with spending the holiday season in an institution.

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