‘Tis the season of giving……My 5 favorite charities

• Standard

Whether it is all through the year or now when the spirit of the season moves you, it feels good to help others. Looking for charities where you can be an active participant in helping others and bring along  family and friends? Looking for charities to give money to? All these charities fit both criteria:

1. Project Linus – A “hands-on” project where you can make blankets with family, friends, co-workers or by yourself! This is a great volunteer option for young children or anyone who can not get out to help at a physical location. All the donated blankets are given to children who are seriously ill or who have faced trauma. They have chapters in all 50 states that accept drop-offs of new handmade blankets and crafting supplies. Visit their website for more information: https://www.projectlinus.org
2. Room to Read – “World change starts with educated children” Reading is one of my passions. It opens you up to new ideas, cultures and ways of life.   Room to Read is a global organization and it seeks to transform the lives of millions of children in developing countries by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education.  They along with their partners develop literacy skills and a habit of reading among primary school children and support girls to complete secondary school with the relevant life skills to succeed in school and beyond. You can give a monetary amount monthly or start a fundraiser. We collected books from our school and then sold them to the public for $1 each to raise money. This was a great way to get families involved and helped them  clean out all their bookshelves. he kids organized the books by reading levels and collected the money from the sales of the books. For more information visit, https://www.roomtoread.org
3. Rescue Mission of Trenton – The Rescue Mission of Trenton is the agency in the City of Trenton that serves the truly needy men and women who have no place to turn for shelter, food, and clothing. The Mission provides a safe, clean, warm, refuge for the homeless, the hungry, the transient and the addicted. This local charity collects furniture, clothing and anything someone would need to run a home. They will collect items right from your home. Visit their website for more information, https://www.rescuemissionoftrenton.org/
4. Feeding Children Everywhere, Hunger Project – There are events all over the country for this Hunger Project. They teamed up in NJ with One Project NJ to package 50,000 healthy meals for children all over the world. This was an amazing event and people of all ages can participate. Our team had children as young as 3 years old there to help. There was music and dancing to break up the work of packaging rice and beans. They gave each volunteer a bag of the food they packed to take home and make for themselves. You can find out more about these events at https://www.feedingchildreneverywhere.com
5. Shine and Inspire – This organization is hyperlocal (servicing Mercer County NJ)  but deserves more attention. Their premise is one that touches on the heart of those in need and those helping others. When you are in need it is hard to feel good about yourself and asking for help does not make you feel any better. Shine and Inspire’s mission is to help those who need it and then have them, help others. You can ask the organization for anything you need but you have to tell them how you are going to pay it forward. The person in need feels good about giving back to their community while getting what they need. It is a win win. To find out more visit their website, https://shineandinspire.org/

Comments are closed.