where to donate christmas gifts

Freecycle is a great resource for donating locally. Sign up for free, post the toys you’d like to donate, and some lucky family will come to pick them up. The Salvation Army allows you to schedule a pick-up on their website – enter your zip code and they’ll be happy to schedule a time to come over. Craigslist is an oldie but goodie.

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How can I donate Christmas decorations to a charity place?

Donate toys to foster parents or daycare centers. If you have extra toys in the living room after Christmas morning, you’re in the perfect position to continue spreading holiday cheer for kids ...

Where can I donate a fake Christmas tree?

Dec 28, 2015 · Hospitals — blankets. Schools – school supplies, children's clothing, and books. Libraries — Books, of course, and gift cards. Animal shelters — blankets and gift cards. Homeless shelters — clothing, toiletries, food, and giftcards. Women's shelters — cell phones, clothing, toiletries, food, any items for children.

How to donate Christmas decorations to a charity place?

Where to Donate Old Toys. Donating old toys is another great way to provide for children this Christmas. Your local Salvation Army and Goodwill are …

Where can you donate Christmas items?

Oct 02, 2020 · Want to donate? This is a great organization to work with if you have a group – such as a scout troop or school class – that wants to box up donations for kids in need this Christmas holiday season. USPS Operation Santa. The USPS has an amazing Christmas Gift Assistance program called Operation Santa – read all about it here.

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.

Why You Should Think About Donating an Unwanted Christmas Gift

If you donate your unwanted gifts, you'll decrease clutter. Cutting clutter has emotional benefits that I don't understand, but I feel better when my life and environment are clear.

What Should be Donated?

If you're donating unwanted gifts, they're most likely new and still in the package. (Whether you should give used presents is a topic for another time.)

How to Determine the Best Place to Donate a Gift

First, if you want to deduct your donation (s) on your tax return, some of these institutions or entities are not qualified organizations. In other words, don't pick an unqualified organization if you want to deduct your donation.

How to Find a Toys for Tots Drop Off Location Near You

Toys for Tots has delivered 566 million toys to children since its inception in 1947 and continues to serve struggling families today. Run by the US Marine Corps, it’s one of the top charities in the country providing less fortunate children with presents during the Christmas season.

The Best Types of Toys to Donate to Toys for Tots

While Toys for Tots does not print a list of suggested toys, it goes without saying that toys without batteries, toys that require add-ons, electronics, and anything that can’t be enjoyed immediately after being unwrapped should be avoided.

Where Else To Donate Toys Locally

Making donations has never been easier. Local places to keep in mind include hospitals, shelters, churches/synagogues/mosques, children’s centers, nurseries, schools, and grocery stores.

How to Have Your Toy Donations Picked Up

In an ever-increasing world of convenience, making donations doesn’t even require leaving the comfort of your own home. Some of us work 40+ hours a week and don’t have time to make the trip to our local drop-off center, no matter how eager we are to do so. Fortunately, some charities and organizations are willing to pick up your donations.

Where to Donate Old Toys

Donating old toys is another great way to provide for children this Christmas. Your local Salvation Army and Goodwill are great places to consider. They take your used toys and sell them at very affordable prices. They also accept clothes, books, and other items.

What are the needs of the Humane Society?

One place that always has needs is the Humane Society. They take in so many animals and most rely on donations to keep going. What I love about the Humane Society is that literally anyone can do their part to help. Money is their number 1 need, but there's so many other ways to donate. You can volunteer your time, as little or as much as you want. You could also donate supplies. Blankets, food bowls, toys and collars are always in short supply.

Is blood donation a good gift?

A blood donation is the perfect gift. It costs nothing but a little time. And the rewards are unbelievable. Just think about it. You giving up a half hour of your life to donate blood could potentially mean giving somebody years that they wouldn't have otherwise had.

Is Wish Upon a Hero a non profit?

Have you ever heard of The Wish Upon a Hero Foundation? It's a tax-exempt non-profit organization that works to support the online community of individuals who grant the needs and wants of others making a wish. They believe in three things:

Is Toys for Tots a non profit?

Give to Toys for Tots. Toys for Tots is a not-for-profit public charity run by United States Marine Corps Reserve. Their goal is to "deliver, through a new toy at Christmas, a message of hope to less fortunate youngsters that will assist them in becoming responsible, productive, patriotic citizens.".

Is Christmas a time for charitable giving?

Christmas is the season for charitable giving. It's the time of year when we should all give a little to those who have less. For those who can afford it, there's endless opportunities to give someone a Merry Christmas. And for those who are already living on a shoestring budget, you'd be surprised at how much you can do.

What can kids do with Christmas cards?

Kids are able to place their name and a holiday wishlist on a card . The card is then selected by a family in your local community that wants to help. They then purchase Christmas presents off of your child’s wish list.

What is Operation Christmas Child?

Operation Christmas Child is a branch of Samaritan’s Purse. They work to provide a shoebox full of gifts to children in need on Christmas morning. The gifts that they provide are often practical. If you need help with hygiene and similar care items for your kids, these shoeboxes are really fantastic.

What is the Salvation Army?

The Salvation Army. The Salvation Army is a huge organization that operates all across the country. They provide food assistance and other assistance programs for struggling families all year long. However, they really provide a lot of social services at Christmas.

What is the prison fellowship program?

The Prison Fellowship Program works directly with kids who have an incarcerated family member. They run many year long programs, but have a special Angel Tree program during the holiday season. It is a great program to get involved with and could help your kids long term, beyond just free Christmas gifts.

What is the United Way?

United Way is another huge organization with smaller, local chapters around the world. Click here to find your local branch. The United Way is a fantastic place to go for referrals. They will be able to give you a list of all Holiday Assistance programs in your areas, how to apply, and how to qualify.

Do food banks give out food?

They totally do give out food, but they are often hubs for organizations that work to help low income families. The employees of food banks are often extremely well versed in the assistance programs available for the holidays and year round in your area.

What is a lion's club?

Lion’s Clubs are locally run organizations that each have slightly different programs. However, most of them have holiday-centric programs that provide either food or gifts or both for those in need.

Request a donation box for your organization

We invite Calgary’s working force to donate gifts from the comfort of their workspaces. Simply request one or more donation boxes for your organization anytime between November and Christmas Eve. Besides knowing that your gifts will go toward a family in need, this can make for a fun and meaningful initiative for you and your colleagues.

What to donate

Want to donate gifts, but unsure of where to start? The Magic of Christmas visits Calgarians of all ages, from newborns to grandparents. If you need inspiration, please check out or print our Christmas Wish List for ideas.

Where to donate

Donations can be dropped off at Santa’s workshop between November and December, or at one of our many drop-off locations in December. We normally have over 150 donation drop off locations in every quadrant of the city! Find your nearest drop-off location below, or request a box for your workplace.

What is the largest nonprofit dedicated to saving the world's oceans?

Oceana bills itself as the largest international advocacy nonprofit dedicated only to saving the world’s oceans. Oceana, founded in 1999, has since protected 4.5 million square miles of previously unprotected oceans, helps endangered aquatic species, and is working to save these masses of water from global warming, plastic, and oil pollution.#N#How to Gift: For the ocean-obsessed, Oceana sells T-shirts, baseball caps, and other apparel, as well as a reusable straw kit that comes with a baggie, a straw cleaner, and two reusable straws. For those who would really like a stuffed animal, Oceana has “adoption gift packs.” For example, adopting an Octopus costs about $80 and comes with an octopus cookie cutter, an octopus plush toy, and a personalized adoption certificate. There are many more types of aquatic animals that are adoptable: puffins, penguins, sea otters, sea turtles, clownfish, and more.

What is National Geographic's mission?

National Geographic is not just a television channel or the long-time publishers of one of the best nature magazines in the world — the organization is also working hard to protect wildlife in the oceans, minimize the harm of plastic pollution all over the planet, and help save rhinos and other endangered animals from extinction, among other things. Alongside their top-notch environmental and global reporting, National Geographic runs a great television channel with nature documentaries that build awareness about the state of the planet.#N#How to Gift: National Geographic has a ton of gift guides for adults, spouses, and parents. The proceeds of those gifts go straight back to NatGeo. One super-cool present (especially for kids) includes 10 break-open geodes that can be smashed open with a hammer. The kit also comes with geode stands and a learning guide that can help kiddos learn much more about geodes.

What is Heifer International?

Heifer International helps provide those across the world with the real supplies that they need in order to survive and ultimately thrive. Heifer’s main goal is to give people a faster path to what they refer to as a “living income” — in other words, a life free from hunger, poverty, and homelessness.

How many countries does UNICEF work in?

UNICEF. UNICEF, also known as the United Nations Children’s Fund, works in 190 different countries across the world to help the most vulnerable kids get access to clean water, education, safe housing, and more.

What is the Audubon Society?

The Audubon Society, which has been around since 1905, is a nonprofit organization that protects the world’s birds and their habitats. In their daily work, they protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, help restore populations of the California Condor and the Brown Pelican, help push an environmental policy that couples green energy development with bird preservation, and help restore the Everglades and Long Island Sound. All in all, Audubon is serious about protecting birds. As such, donating or buying a gift through the Audubon Society for an in-kind donation is a great gift idea for an avid birder or a bird lover.

How does Oxfam help the world?

As such, Oxfam helps provide sustainable livelihoods, access to essential services, and basic social safety nets.

What is Oxfam's mission?

Oxfam, founded in 1942, is a group of 19 different independent nonprofit organizations that aim to alleviate global poverty. Oxfam has many projects across the world, including in the United States, where they advocate against harmful legislative measures like welfare work requirements that would make poor Americans even poorer. Across the world, they work to fight global inequality as a means to lessen gender-based poverty and inequity, seeking out lasting solutions that reduce poverty over the long term. As such, Oxfam helps provide sustainable livelihoods, access to essential services, and basic social safety nets.#N#How to Gift: When you give to Oxfam, the organization provides direct assistance like packages of seeds, solar panels, toilets, built wells, survival kits in times of the environmental disaster, bicycles, chickens, child care, and more. If you give your loved one an Oxfam gift, you can pick out a card with a pun on it (the bicycle donation card reads: “Your Generosity is the Wheel Thing”) and personalize it, as well.