Guide to Holiday Charity Gifts

As the Christmas season approaches many of us will make charitable contributions to different organizations, but how do we know which ones to choose, here are a few suggestions.

1.The Salvation Army, we have all seen them ringing their bells outside of all the local stores. Did you ever really pay attention to what they do to help people? They offer many services and not just at the holidays, even though this may be when you see them the most. Other times of the year they are still hard at work helping people who have been in fires or have found themselves homeless. They help people pay heating and electric bills, or buy furniture and clothing. They offer counseling to people who have been through a rough time. They also have adult rehabilitation centers all across the country. Individuals with qualifying needs (such as a drug or alcohol addiction) go to these centers for help when they no longer are able to cope with their addictions. They receive housing, meals, and the necessary medical care, and they take place in work therapy. They also benefit from group therapy sessions, religious guidance and addictions counseling. They offer services to the youth as well. The Salvation Army has been serving America's youth for over a hundred years. Each corps community center has religious and character building programs for today's youth such as Sunday school, troop programs, music classes, athletics, arts and crafts, camping, and family services intended to help the parents break the cycle of being homeless, so that their children will have a brighter future. The Red Kettles and bell ringers are perhaps the most known community-wide Salvation Army program. However, during the holidays the results from the nickels, dimes and dollars put into the kettles provides needy families with Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, gifts for children, coats and shoes for kids that have none, and visitation to the elderly who have no one to care for them. They have the Angel tree every Christmas that's lets a family choose an angel from the tree and then buy gifts for a child that otherwise wouldn't get any .We have done this for a few years now, we buy clothing, shoes, winter coats, and some toys. They also offer church services and Sunday school programs.

2.Several different organizations sponsor the Adopt a Family project; you choose to supply Christmas presents and Christmas dinner to a family that would not have anything otherwise. This is the greatest feeling knowing that a family will experience the joys of Christmas day. I think this is a great charity to donate to.

3.Adopt a Soldier, Several of our service men and woman will be spending the holidays in a strange country and may have no family back at home to send them any packages You can make up a care package and send it to them this Christmas. Think how good they would feel to have a taste of back home, here is a page that lists what you can and cannot send, http://operationmilitarypride.org/packages.html.You can also write a letter thanking them for serving our country, this means a lot to them. Some have no one to write to them and it can be awful lonely. Contact your local recruiting office they should be able to tell you how to get a solider to adopt for the holidays. You can send packages to our soldiers at any time of the year as well not just the holidays.

4.Donate to your local hospital; see if your hospital has a charity for presents for patients, they give out a present to each patient. Lots of nursing home do this as well, they will offer the Adopt a Grandparent program. Sometimes the patients in a nursing home have no family and no visitors so getting a present on Christmas could really mean a lot to them.
5.Local Schools, you could donate to your child's, or grandchild's, school they always need school supplies, and books for the library. You could donate a newspaper or magazine subscription for their classroom. Anything you do is sure to be appreciated, and you get the joy of knowing you are helping our future.

Whichever charity you choose to donate to, will be greatly appreciative for your gift.