By: Jessica D. Wright
The holidays are here and there is no better time to teach your kids about the importance of giving back! Throughout the Great Lakes Bay Region, there are many, many opportunities for giving back to the community. Here are some of our favorites.
American Red Cross – http://www.redcross.org
The Red Cross is always looking for people to help out around the community. Ways to help include:
- Volunteer work – Volunteer work can include fundraising, leading groups, taking/leading classes, and, for adults, disaster relief.
- Donating blood – People seventeen years and older can donate blood, plasma, platelets, or double red cells.
- Donating money – You can donate money online, by text, by mail, monthly, in memory of a loved one, or through their corporate sponsors.
- Holiday Mail for Heroes – The American Red Cross hosts events for signing, sorting, and sending out cards of thanks and support to Armed Forces members, veterans, and their family members.
Any Soldier – http://www.anysoldier.com/index.cfm
Any Soldier allows families to send care packages to any soldier to show them support and give them the things they need. The program was started by Army Sergeant Brian Horn who noticed how many of the soldiers weren’t receiving care packages. Things you can send include:
- Cliff Bars
- Bates 400G Insulated Boots
- C.A.T. M-4 Cleaning Tool
- Thank you/Support cards (Note: if you want to increase your chances of a reply, try sending a self-addressed envelope with paper and a pencil and ask them to write a note or a list of other things they need.
- Baby wipes (This was recommended to me personally by a soldier relative who mentioned how coveted they were overseas)
You can also donate money to the program to send other packages and items to the soldiers. For a full list of ways to donate or things to send, please visit the website.
*Note: Each soldier also has a Restrictions section that you should be cautious of when sending items.
Hidden Harvest – http://www.hiddenharvestshares.org
Hidden Harvest is the region’s only prepared and perishable surplus food rescue program, and has served more than 23 million pounds of food since its inception in 1994. You can help by:
- Donating money – This helps keep the trucks on the road and the operation running
- Volunteer time – Volunteers are always needed to help rescue food, work the office, or assist with special events
- Give food – This applies to health department or U.S.D.A. Licensed businesses and helps make sure no one goes to bed hungry.
Coats for Kids – http://www.operationwarm.org
Coats for Kids partners with Operation Warm to ensure that every kid has a warm coat for winter. They generally accept monetary donations by mail or through their website, but you can also donate goods and services such as:
- Transportation Services
- Warehousing
- Printing
- Social media/marketing/public relations
- Graphic design
- New computer and office supplies
- Cause marketing and partnerships
- Silent Auction/raffle items
These are just a few of the many options available to help out in the local community. All of these provide opportunities for learning about helping others and seeing the joy that giving brings. For more information on each of these opportunities, please visit their websites.