The holiday season is a great time to be thankful for the ones you love and spend quality time with friends, family, and your community. Although the holiday season can be a very joyous time for everyone, we cannot forget about the ones that are in need. There’s no better time to help your community and the ones around us than during the holiday season with different sorts of food drives, clothes drives, toy drives, and multiple different donations. If you’re looking for or want to give back during this holiday season, here are some of the local charities that would greatly appreciate your help.
Donating donations or food to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina is one of the most direct ways that you can give a helping hand this holiday season. The food bank works tirelessly to provide for children, elders, and adults across multiple counties and the city of Raleigh. Specifically, on December 11th, you can participate in the “ABC11 Together Food Drive.” Their goal is to collect enough food and funds for nearly 600,000 Carolinians. Although there are specific dates during December when you can participate, the food bank is a year-round charity, so make sure to donate any time you can!
Another great donation is the WakeMed holiday toy donations. If you want to help children who need presents this year and want to bring a little bit of joy to the ones that are sick, then WakeMed‘s Children’s drive is the perfect thing for you. This charity aims to support the families and children who have to spend their holidays hospitalized and cannot come home this season. Although they have drop-off points all across Raleigh, all donations will open on December 14th. This is a great way to put a smile on a child’s face!
The winters are not only hard seasons for us with the harsh cold, but also for animals themselves. Second Chance Pet Adoptions is a Triangle-region rescue organization that has been around since 1987. Along with adoption, there are other ways you can help homeless dogs and cats this season. A fun activity that you and your family can participate in is “Pet Pics with Santa!” on December 7th, 14th, and 15th. Bring your furry friend to Petco at the Cary Crossroads location between 1pm and 4pm to have their photo taken with Santa. This will bring a donation of $9.95 to Second Chance. This is a great way to have a picture taken of you and your pet while also saving the lives of homeless animals!
There are so many ways you can give back to your community this holiday season! Even though only a few are listed here, some simple research can be done to learn more about these organizations and many others. If you’re able, don't forget about giving back. Thank you, and happy holidays!