Requests for charity have increased in recent years and organizations are struggling to reach everyone. The demand for help is so high that some of these organizations close requests for help for the holidays, including Thanksgiving meals, as early as August. Please contact them early.
If you miss deadlines, a shelter, food bank, or local church is your best bet for some holiday assistance. Many churches will be approaching around the holiday season. Each has a different method of requesting assistance. The demand for food and shelter is always higher in winter, due to the cold.
If you’d like to help, I have lists of food banks, shelters, and toy donation services that could use your time, assets, and money. These lists are also good places to find help. Some of them help people directly, others only help organizations. Some of these places provide emergency assistance to those in need.
You can contact each organization for more information and application deadlines.
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Salvation Army
The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program accepts applications for two weeks in October. Those who qualify for applications are low-income families with children under the age of twelve or families who need help providing food during the holidays. Qualified families can apply for help with their children’s Christmas gifts and food boxes. The Salvation Army has a very strict deadline, and they only help a limited number of families.
If you missed that deadline, you can still get a meal at the shelter.
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The united path
United Way offers free holiday food and toy assistance to qualified applicants. They usually have a special Christmas lunch where they feed the children, let them meet Santa, and give each a wrapped gift and toy. It is quite a fun event for children, and they serve about 450 children each year.
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Toys for children
Toys for Tots is a United States Marine Corps charity that collects new unwrapped toys during October, November, and December annually for Christmas. Most of us who have lived in Little Rock for a while know the great motorcycle parade near Toy Hill from War Memorial Stadium. Toy Hill moved to the Clear Channel Metroplex, 10800 Colonel Glenn Road, but they still do a great event every year.
Toys for Tots does not accept individual family applications. They supply toys to organizations that handle those requests. You can find a list of organizations and contact information on their website. All of these organizations have different application deadlines, so call ahead. They also have different requirements for help, so if you don’t qualify for one, try another.
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Freecycle
You can find amazing stuff on Freecycle, and it’s all free. During the holidays, you have to act fast, but sometimes they have things like bikes, coats and other cool things. Clothing is very popular and sometimes electronic items. They may not be the most up-to-date articles, but they’re worth a look. Craigslist is another place to find free or low-cost items.
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Thrift shopping
You can get great deals on toys and clothing at thrift stores. I recommend Great Goodwill at 109 Markham Park Drive. It is a very large store and the prices of some things are very reasonable. There are many others to choose from. Toys at Goodwill go pretty fast at Christmas, but if you ask individual stores, they may tell you when is the best time to search for new deals.
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Local food banks
Some of these food banks only supply food to local shelters, but others accept applications from individuals. If you need food, many of them can direct you to the right resources. If you need access to a local shelter, check the list of shelters.
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Local churches
Around the holidays, churches collect food and items to donate. Although, of course, it is best to go to your own church for help, if you do not attend a church and need help, many will contact non-parishioners, especially to request food.
