‘Tis the season to give back—and receive a little extra help.
With Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up it’s the perfect time to know about what local organizations in our area are doing to help those in need.
Whether you’re looking for a place to give, you and your family are in need, or you know someone who is, here are some organizations making a difference this holiday season.
Big Toy Giveaways at the Jersey Shore
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Salvation Army in Atlantic City and Asbury Park have tons of toys for families in need for Christmas.
The non-profit has kicked off a two-day toy distribution to help brighten the holiday for more than 500 deserving kids.
“Last year they served 200 families, and so we're up to 250 families this year. So, the need has grown," Lt. Lesley Colon, with the Salvation Army Atlantic City, said.
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Salvation Army Asbury Park is gearing up for its annual drive-thru distribution on Thursday, December 19.
Camden Kroc Center Toy Shop Event
The Salvation Army Camden Kroc Center is bringing its toy shop event back for the 10th year, so no child is left without a toy this Christmas.
The Salvation helps hundreds of families celebrate Christmas by giving out toys to children most in need. They’re expecting to serve thousands this year.
The Kroc Center, located at 1865 Harrison Ave, Camden, NJ, is currently registering families for their toy shop waitlist.
More than 800 families are already signed up to receive gifts. They encourage anyone who would like to help to get involved before December 7.
People can donate a toy by heading to the center’s Walmart and Amazon Christmas Wishlist. They are asking for toys specifically for children aged 0-12.
If you’d like to give your time instead, they are looking for volunteers as well.
Upper Merion Area Community Cupboard
The Upper Merion Area Community Cupboard is a food pantry that serves about 140 families a week.
They stock everything from canned goods to breads and vegetables, including everything needed for making a Thanksgiving dinner.
It is open every Tuesday from 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. or 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
“People are struggling, and the price of food is so very very high. So, what we did was we were able to get turkeys, hams and chickens and we reached out to the community, corporations and different organizations in the area, and they came through big and strong, where we’re able to provide not just the meat but a complete meal with all the sides,” Angela Michael with the community cupboard said.
Food banks in the community are having lower donations than normal.
They are looking for volunteers, food donations and monetary donations.
Share Food Program
The Share Food Program fights hunger in the Greater Philadelphia area.
Anyone in need of food assistance this holiday season can contact the program, which feeds hundreds of thousands of people in need each month.
You can donate, volunteer or even get your company or organization involved.
Giving Machines in the Fashion District
A holiday season staple has returned to Center City.
Starting Monday, Nov. 18, the special vending machines are available for people to make donations through the holiday season.
The machine accepts donations between $5 and $100 to the charity of your choice.
Charities will then use the money donated to buy things for people in need. It will be used for things like baby supplies, school supplies, meals, blankets and other necessities.
Bringing Hope Home Adopt-A-Family Holiday Program
The holidays can be a tough time for many families, especially those struggling financially due to a cancer diagnosis.
Local organization Bringing Hope Home has brought back its Adopt-A-Family Holiday program to help make a difference for families.
You can pay a family's household bills, donate gift cards, or even register a group to fundraise for gift cards. For more information, visit bringinghopehome.org/get-involved.
Salvation Army in Delaware
This holiday season, the Salvation Army of Delaware says that donations are down almost 38%.
"I think with the way the economy is, with inflation and these types of things, people perhaps don’t have as much to give," Salvation Army Delaware Coordinator Major James Cocker said.
With more people working from home, foot traffic is really low on Mondays and Fridays, leading to less people around to donate.
The Salvation Army has also had postal service issues with donations taking a longer time to show up through the mail.
Donations to kettles help the Salvation Army with their shelter services, like food, utility, rest assistance, childcare and even their human trafficking assistance program.
On the bright side, an anonymous donor has said that they will match donations in Delaware this Saturday, Dec. 21. So, if you see a bell ringer, kick in if you can.
Food drive with Ocean City's beach Christmas trees
It's a mixture of joy and goodwill for a growing holiday trend at the Jersey Shore.
More than a dozen Christmas trees dotting Ocean City's coast line include personal messages and one includes a chance to donate nonperishable foods.
At the city's south end, the tree located on the 59th Street beach has bins for visitors to drop off food for those in need.
The donations are then taken to the Ocean City Ecumenical Council food cupboard.
"It’s just wonderful," Jane French, of the organization, told NBC10. "It's way over 500 pounds of goods because the first shipment alone was over 230."
So, if you find yourself in Ocean City, stop by the Christmas tree on 59th Street's beach to leave a donation if you can.
