Holiday Volunteering- do you? Have you? and places to volunteer

razorbackbelle0

razorbackbelle0

Member
Mar 26, 2007
7,025
3
#1
Hey ladies!

So I'm going to put some of my free time to use this season and volunteer in possibly a local soup kitchen or with goodwill or the Salvation Army. Links below to the latter 2:

http://goodwill.org/page/guest/about/howweoperate/volunteer

http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn...27FB3D1999D55F3E802572F4004A536C?openDocument

Do any of you volunteer, donate to organizations, adopt-a-child or anything like that? Please share your thoughts, ideas and suggestions as to how to make the holidays brighter for people in need! And any links you have to websites that are doing good or anything like that. I've seen some people making donations in other's names to various placed on the H forum and I'd love to get a list of these together for me and anyone else who might be interested. TIA! :flowers:
 
#2
Hi Sarah! what a great idea for a thread! I always participate in the 'coat donation' drive that is put on to get coats for children in our area. It gets blustery and rainy and cold this time of year and a lot of kids aren't adequately covered. I love donating items to drives like this because I know someone will get use out of it. I love sending over sweaters and jeans and boots as well.

One idea that I personally endorse as my favorite is going to www.anysoldier.com and putting together a gift basket for troops that are deployed and won't get to spend the holidays with their families. These gestures mean a lot to those of us that are over there and provide a bit of hope that people do love us.

Gosh there are so many great ideas. oo0extahcee0oo mentioned to me that she usually works at a shelter and hands out food on Christmas Day, and has also had family members make traditional Asian cuisine so that people can get homemade food as well...
 
#3
This year I picked an Angel off the Angel Tree for the Salvation Army and purchased the items listed for a 4 yr. old boy to have Christmas gifts to open on Christmas day.
Last Year My Husband and I donated 5 Bikes to our Elem. School to be given away for the children who needed them the most, and who have to walk to school.
And we always donate Can foods for the local Vol Fire Department to distribute during the holidays to families who need it the most.
 
#4
In high school, we (I was in Key Club) adopted families, did Angel Tree, Christmas caroling at the V.A., etc. My favorite was volunteering for the Christmas tree recycling-it was freezing cold but the trees smelled wonderful.

This year I don't expect to be doing as much, but I plan on doing Toys for Tots.
 
#5
My one friend always tries to organize a drive for the woman's shelter. That is fun because you can buy things for the women and their kids. I especially like getting things for the babies. I donate to the coat drive. I also clean out the closets and donate good clothing to other places than post they need things. I do the angel tree and that is fun because you never know who you will get and what the wish list is.
 
#6
Yay for volunteering!

In Charlotte, we have an Operation Christmas Child processing center and my family volunteers to process shoe boxes to send overseas. It is amazing. You go to a big warehouse and get on an assembly line, then you go through shoeboxes to make sure that all items are acceptable (no chocolate, glass etc.) then you box them up and they go around the world.

It is quite humbling to realize that some child is going to be overjoyed to receive a shoebox of stuff. Wow.

My kids are not old enough to help with this yet so we go to a local nursing home. We make stockings with fruit and socks and homemade cards and give them out to residents on December 23. We also take tons of pictures that we have developed and drop off with New Year's wishes the next week.
 
#7
I started volunteer orientation with the Arizona Humane Society.

However, I am planning on doing this year round and not just during the holiday season...probably about 8 hours per month :smile:
 
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