does anyone work personally with any nashville based orphanages/donation centers/organizations ? or have any helpful info? i’m inquiring because this winter I’m looking to set up a big donation & want to handle it one-on-one, meeting the kids & buying the gifts to bring instead of just giving money or toys to a random place or church that accepts them & hoping they get distributed.

email me at mindywhite@myspace.com

Christmas is just around the corner...

And it’s never too early to get festive & start giving! Many families and children struggle to have a good Christmas. And even before then, it’s cold outside NOW and some could use extra blankets/coats/boots that you may have already or could pitch in for. There are tons of cheap and FREE ways to help.

If you’re not sure where to start…

Charities and Organizations

Contact your local charities and organizations to find out about their outreach to the needy during Christmastime. Offers are usually year round, accepting extra food, baskets, clothes, shoes, toys, and emergency assistance during the holidays.

Find out if there is a Salvation Army in your area. The Salvation Army will often help with toy vouchers, food, clothing vouchers and other means. Their classic bell ringers collect donations to help the needy, and they put these donations to good use providing Christmas help for low income families. So next time you pass one of those people, take a second to give them your spare change :)

Keep an eye out for local toy drives and food drives. Most stores and malls contribute to them, and you could buy a little something while you’re doing your OWN SHOPPING and just put the gift in the charity toy bin before you leave!

Visiting Retirement Facilities and Nursing Homes

Many people at Retirement facilities and Nursing homes don’t have family to come and visit them and bring them holiday cheer. Just stopping in and spending a little bit of time with them means more than you can even imagine! If you’re feeling really giving, bake some goodies, or some gifts to give to them when you come!

Letters to Santa

It’s something so small and almost free, and might mean the most to kids this holiday. You can go to http://www.santasheart.org/ and it only takes a tiny bit of your time and it’s so fun being creative and writing letters pretending to be Santa. Just remember what you would have thought as a kid if you recieved a letter back from Santa!

Humane Societies & Animal Hospitals

They can ALWAYS use your help with any donations, and free volunteer work with cleaning, walking, helping look for lost pets, etc.

Churches

Look up your local food bank and find out the requirements to receive food and produce through them, and if they have extra food baskets during the holidays to help provide Christmas help for low income families.

Accept offers from family and friends to help out in your time of need. That’s what friends and family are for—to help each other through the rough times, together.

Utility help

Ask the utility company for information about winter assistance with heating and electric bills. Find out what programs they refer needy families to in order to receive assistance keeping the electricity on.

So hope this helped! We can all do good with just a little love. Pass it along  :)