How to Donate Food and Clothes to The Needy During The Holidays

Take non-perishable goods to the Salvation Army. The Salvation Army opens their doors to donations year round, but the spirit of giving seems to be more intense during the holidays. Word of mouth usually gets out in the form of requests for food that can be distributed to the needy through places like the Salvation Army. You can take food items such as canned goods; boxed cereals, pastas, and crackers, packaged fruit snacks, and anything else that will not expire immediately to the Salvation Army for distribution. The Salvation Army also accepts monetary donations which are usually asked for outside of many department stores and grocery stores. This way, if you do not have time to take food in for needy families, you can give through cash donations. Visit your local Salvation Army for details.

Take food and clothing donations to your child's school. Most public and private schools accept donations in the form of non-perishable food and good used clothing, usually jackets and coats, that they distribute to families who need it. This is a great way to get some more use out of your child's old coats and warm attire without throwing clothes items away. Most children will bring home a flyer stating when their school is accepting these food and clothing donations, but you are always more than welcome to contact your child's school to find out how to give to the needy. Food items in the form of canned goods and packaged or boxed foods are usually accepted as well as gently worn jackets, coats, and boots. Schools do not usually accept monetary donations since they are non-profit. Contact your child's school for more information and to find out when to donate clothing and food items.

Hospitals accept food and clothing donations during the holidays. Many hospitals have an auxiliary program that is a non-profit organization who accepts donations on behalf of the hospital and gives them to people in need. The hospital auxiliary usually accepts any kind of gently worn warm clothing and non-perishable food items including canned goods and boxed or packaged goods for needy families. Some auxiliary programs do accept monetary donations for the needy since they will also take donations for the hospital itself. Many auxiliary programs also ask for volunteers to help with delivering items to needy families and providing hot meals to elderly people who cannot get out. For more information about giving to the needy during the holidays, contact your local hospital and ask for the auxiliary program.

Churches accept donations for the needy during the holidays. Anyone can bring in gently used clothing, non-perishable foods, and even toys for children for the holidays. Most churches even take donations all year round, but encourage giving especially during the holiday season when families are forced to go without a warm holiday meal. Some churches even accept monetary donations though most would rather have tangible items they can deliver to the needy without having to purchase anything. You can also help the needy through church services that provide hot holiday meals to ‘shut-ins' (those who can't leave their homes), the elderly, and those who are very sick. You can also get names of people who need your help and take on the role of caregiver a few days a week to help the needy. For more information, talk to your church's minister, priest, preacher, or such. If you are not associated with any church, you can call any you like to help.

Many communities put together a Children's Fund that helps needy families. The Children's Fund offers holiday meals for families by accepting food donations and also offers presents to needy children who otherwise would not have much of a Christmas. You can either choose to donate non-perishable food items to the Children's Fund, give money donations, or purchase a Christmas present for a girl or boy. Many facilities such as hospitals, factories, restaurants, and some local businesses offer a chance to give to the Children's Fund through name tags of girls and boys placed on a tree. When a person wants to give a gift to a child for the holidays, they simply take a tag off the tree and purchase a geared toward that child's age and gender. To find out more about the Children's Fund, talk to your local Chamber of Commerce, human services foundation, economic development facility, or even Department of Public Welfare.