Where to Volunteer for Christmas in Peoria, IL

If you are in the giving mood this Christmas, there are a number of organizations in Peoria, Illinois looking for Christmas volunteer work and charitable donations.

The Peoria Park District is usually looking for volunteer Christmas work. This volunteer work is usually short, sometimes as short as a few hours for a single day, and generally quite an enjoyable experience. The events sponsored by the Peoria Park District include Antebellum Christmas, Calls from Santa, Candlelight Musician, a production of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, the Christmas Carnival, and Critter Christmas at the Peoria zoo. For more information, see the Peoria Park District's website: http://www.peoriaparks.org

If you are looking for a quick and easy way to help others during the Christmas season, nothing beats Operation Christmas Child. Operation Christmas Child is a temporary Christmas charity sponsored by the international relief organization Samaritan's Purse. Every year, Operation Christmas Child collects thousands of gifts and distributes them to needy children all across the globe. If you would like to donate, all you need to do is fill a shoebox with gifts and drop it off at one of Operation Christmas Child's drop-off locations in Peoria and East Peoria. For more information about Operation Christmas Child and the drop-off locations, visit their website: https://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/Pack_A_Shoe_Box/

The Center for Economic Progress is also looking for Christmas volunteers to help low income families in Peoria. The volunteer positions being offered are tax preparers and tax site assistants. No previous experience is necessary to for this volunteer opportunity. The volunteers are asked to provide at least 20 hours of volunteer work and will be provided with training by the Center for Economic Progress. For more information, visit the Center for Economic Progress's website: http://www.economicprogress.org/index.php/c/Volunteer

There are also ten Salvation Army centers in Peoria that offer various volunteer opportunities year round. The Christmas charity the Salvation Army conducts every year is one of biggest and most recognizable Christmas charities around. You can learn all about the many volunteer opportunities this charity offers by visiting their website: http://usc.salvationarmy.org/

If you'd like to help animals this Christmas season, consider volunteering or donating to the Peoria Humane Society. Volunteers at the Peoria Humane Society are responsible for providing pets with attention, taking them for walks, playing with them, etc. In order to work with the Peoria Humane Society, volunteers must attend training sessions and commit to volunteering for at least three months. (Hours vary) Information about how to get involved with the Peoria Humane Society can be found at the City of Peoria website: http://www.ci.peoria.il.us/volunteer

The Red Cross also has two centers in Peoria that offer miscellaneous volunteer opportunities and blood donations, the Central Illinois Chapter and Heart of America Blood Region. More information can be found at http://www.redcrossillinois.org and http://www.givebloodgivelife.org, respectively.

Last but not least, if you are looking for volunteer work, the Peoria Chapter of Habitat for Humanity is an excellent place to check. Habitat for Humanity builds homes which it sells to needy families for no profit. If you would like to become involved with the Peoria Chapter of Habitat for Humanity, visit their website for contact information: http://www.habitatpeoria.org/