Where to Donate Christmas / Chanukah Gifts in New York City

"If you haven't got charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble", said legendary entertainer and humanitarian Bob Hope. And traditionally, the Christmas / Chanukah / Kwanzaa holiday season is a season for giving to those less fortunate. So what are the best places to donate? Whether it's a holiday gift that just wasn't right, or you just want to donate part of your Christmas bonus, there are hundreds of places to donate. Here is a list of the best:

Food Donations

Two agencies that accept donations of non-perishable food items for distribution to needy New Yorkers at Christmas are:

The Food Bank for New York City [Check the website to find the collection site near you] and City Harvest 159 West 25th Street, (212) 463-0456, which uses firehouses and police stations as collection sites. City Harvest will pick up surplus food from Christmas parties and help groups or individuals organize food drives.

Clothing and Small Gift Donations

New York Cares (212) 228-5000 runs two Christmas holiday programs. The Winter Wishes Program fulfills the wishes of specific children's letters to Santa. You mail a wrapped, personalized gift [$40 value] to a real child in the NYC area. The New York Cares Coat Drive provides over a million coats to men, women and children in need in New York City. You can donate a coat [new or gently-used] to any of the collection sites around the city.

God's Love We Deliver 166 Avenue of the Americas, (212) 294-8104 delivers holiday gift bags to seriously ill New York adults and children. They accept new, small gifts, such as toiletries, toys, slippers and music for stocking stuffers.

American Red Cross 150 Amsterdam Avenue, (212) 787-1000 accepts donation of new, unwrapped toys and books for children who are homeless and victims of disasters are accepted at American Red Cross chapters in all boroughs.

Salvation Army 120 West 14th Street, (212) 337-7200 accepts holiday donations furniture, toys, clothing and non-perishable food at sites in all five boroughs. Call for exact locations. To arrange a pick-up, call (212) 757-2311.

Children's Aid Society 105 East 22nd Street, (212) 949-4923 has 17 branches throughout the city, offers a variety of programs for thousands of children and young adults. They appreciate donations of new toys for Christmas gifts for children ages 9 to 13.

Coalition for the Homeless 89 Chambers Street, 3rd Floor, (212) 964-5900 accepts donations of new or fairly new clothing, sweaters hats, scarves and mittens.

Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services 120 West 57th Street, (212) 632-4688 accepts new, unwrapped toys for their annual holiday toy drive, which benefits children of all religions.

Graham-Windham Services to Families and Children 33 Irving Place, (212) 529-6445, and Greenwich House 27 Barrow Street, (212) 242-4140 accept holiday donations of new, unwrapped toys, clothing, and gift certificates for infants, children and teens.