We’ve done a local Adopt-A-Family for years but for some reason nover got to it this year, so instead I made an extra year-end donation to a local homelss youth center. I feel bad about this, like there are kids with no presents this year and it is all my fault.
The Women’s Crisis & Family Outreach Center, Castle Rock, CO. They helped a friend. The least I can do is help them.
Catholic Charities Emergency Family Assistance program. Our office gets together and sponsors a family of 5 each year. We like it because it is local, we are informed of the first names and ages and their sizes as well as a toy wish so we feel an attachment to them. The gifts must be wrapped and new and they ask for a complete set of clothes for each child including shoes so it isn’t all about toys but actually helping out. This year we had to use an SUV to deliver all the gifts. The company throws in a 250 dollar grocery gift card so I am sure they will have a great Christmas.
We have done this for over 15 years but I noticed in the last couple of years the parents wish list are such basic items like pillows or blankets for the kids when it used to be a small microwave or a coffee maker. Times are tough.
I always do Toys For Tots. This year I also picked a child off the tree on eBay and gave to the ‘help a family’ charity at work.
This year, bees from Heifer International, donation to Medecins Sans Frontieresand Christmas cards from the Peter Mac Cancer Foundation.
Not sure how their costs are broken down (but they are separate from admin and fundraising) - but this site estimates almost 80% of donations to the HSUS go towards funding program costs.
It’s just that their programs do not include funding local shelters.
Yes, this. The HSUS does extremely little towards the funding of any animal related charities/shelters/etc. They claim that “20 percent of HSUS’ efforts involve companion animal issues” but to me that is a weasily way to say they pay lip service to the cause. Here is one of many articles on the subject. If you dig deeper, you can find many articles linking them to PETA.
As I posted in the other charity thread, I’m a big fan of Worldbuilders, which is basically/literally Heifer.org with donation matching and prizes.