Holiday Help
Hey everybody! I am so outdone at the fact that we are almost done with 2020! It feels like it has been the longest year ever, but it also went by so very fast! Here we are though; approaching the end of 2020, the beginning of 2021, and of course, Christmas! I’ve made no qualms about how I feel about the holidays, specifically that little stretch from around Halloween to about Valentine’s Day. Even though some people don’t consider all of those holidays that fall in that time frame actual holidays (which is just fine), there’s still just a feeling about that range of time. As I’ve said in a few posts before though, holidays have been a little different this year and unfortunately, Christmas may be very different for families across the globe.
This post will not be as long as usual, but I felt like it needed to be addressed. Due to the pandemic, several families have lost almost if not everything. Some families are more concerned with shelter and food this year rather than toys and gifts. That doesn’t mean that they don’t want that for their children, though. It just means that unfortunately, they can’t afford it at the moment. While I haven’t gotten to the point where I did not have shelter, there were times when I was eating a little less so that my kids could eat more and I couldn’t give them everything they wanted under the Christmas tree. Now, please do not misconstrue what I am saying. I know (and furthermore have taught my kids) that things are not everything. As a parent though, it is a very dark feeling to not be able to give your kids what they want and in more severe cases, what they need. In my experience though, I have found there are places that can and will help!
Before I list these places, I just want to issue the following disclaimer: I am not now nor have I ever been personally affiliated with any of the following listings. I am not sponsoring nor am I being paid to list these agencies. I am not endorsing any agency or organization. I am not offering a personal opinion on any one organization or agency, only information found on their websites. Different agencies have different criteria for eligibility and all individuals may not be eligible for assistance. Because I am not personally affiliated with any of these agencies, any interested individual will have to do further research for criteria and eligibility on their own. I am not guaranteeing assistance for anyone by listing these agencies. I am merely listing organizations/agencies.
Now that that’s out the way, here are a few agencies that offer assistance in a variety of different ways. This list is a mixture of ways that individuals can contribute to organizations that will help and organizations offering assistance (which sometimes comes from the contributions).
- Toys for Tots- this organization has been around for a very long time. Toys generally go to children up to age 12 but some communities may provide gifts for children up to age 16.
- Make-A-Wish- this organization donates $1 for all letters to Santa received from October 26 to December 24th (it’s not too late!). While this is a way for individuals to contribute to the foundation, the simple contribution of a letter can help bring a smile to a child’s face.
- Operation Christmas Child- Shoeboxes are packed with small toys, personal hygiene items, school supplies, etc. and are shipped out around the world.
- https://saangeltree.org/ Angel Tree (Salvation Army)- “The Salvation Army Angel Tree program helps provide Christmas gifts for hundreds of thousands of children around the country each year. Once a child or senior adult has been registered and accepted as an Angel their Christmas wish list is shared with donors in your community who purchase gifts of new clothing and toys. The gifts are distributed to the family to place under their family Christmas tree” (taken straight from website).
- Prison Fellowship Angel Tree- This organization provides gifts to the children of incarcerated parents.
- Operation Christmas Spirit- This organization’s website states that they support military families through holiday gratitude.
- Be An Elf- this organization allows you to adopt letters written by underprivileged children. While the organization is not a part of USPS, they do work together to make this happen. Volunteers can “adopt” the letters, purchase items, and send them to the participants.
- The Holiday Project- This organization helps those who are confined to any kind of institution such as a hospital, nursing home, or other residential institution.
- St. Vincent de Paul- This is a faith-based charity that can help with food, clothing, utility payments, and basic mandatory needs. They also provide Christmas and Thanksgiving assistance. This organization appears to be housed in Florida.
- https://freefinancialhelp.net/free-christmas-tree/ This site holds a few different location-based resources to help get a Christmas tree for the holiday.
- Local Resources- Local foodbanks, children’s charities, churches, and wish-granting charities.
So, there we have it. I know it’s a very modest list, but hopefully it helps someone. What I figured out was great about this as I was writing was that this list not only has the potential to help those seeking assistance, but also to those wishing to offer assistance. It can be a little difficult to compose, as so many organizations are based locally. If you are searching for something local, just open a browser and type in something along the lines of “holiday help” or “holiday assistance” near me or using your city or zip code. One thing that this list does show is that there are still people willing to help and at this point, that is one thing the world needs!
This wraps up “Holiday Help”. Be on the lookout for the next article! As always if there’s something you want me to address please let me know! In the meantime, don’t forget to like, follow, and subscribe!
https://freefinancialhelp.net/jacksonville-st-vincent-de-paul/
https://www.operationhelpahero.org/
Pretty Powerful Words 