Stacy Pearson, left, Sue Ellen Toppings, center, and Rose Nelson participated in the October 2010 Be Bold Be Bald event to raise money for cancer research. Stacy’s advice for volunteering during the holidays: pick something you’re passionate about. Submitted photo.
Stacy Pearson of the Blogunteer (www.blogunteer.wordpress.com) has been writing up non-profits for more than a year. As a member of the Women of Today, the Savage resident wanted to help some of the smaller nonprofits out there.
“It’s that season of giving and not just giving material things to your family and friends,” she said. Stacy encourages people to prioritize volunteering and turn it into a family activity.
Sometimes finding the perfect place or organization can be part of the challenge. “The best way to make a difference during the holidays is to find an organization that you are passionate about and contact them,” she says, recommending that you check the legitimacy of any group through Guidestar (www2.guidestar.org) or Charity Navigator (www.charitynavigator.org).
Here are some her ideas for a meaningful holiday season:
* Gather money as a family and choose a local organization to donate to.
* Make fleece tie blankets to donate to Project Linus (www.projectlinus.org).
* Collect or buy new pajamas to donate to Sweet Dreams for Kids. (www.sweetdreamsforkids.org).
* Make or purchase holiday cards and help a local senior write them out (maybe even help organize their address book, too). This could be a neighbor or you could contact a nearby nursing home or assisted living facility to offer assistance.
* Deliver meals for Meals on Wheels (www.meals-on-wheels.com).
* Make dog or cat toys to donate to a local humane society or animal organization (www.animalhumanesociety.org or www.paws4cause.net).
* Buy holiday gifts from local organizations. For example, Isaac’s Journey sells great cookbooks: http://blogunteer.wordpress.com/2010/10/06/isaacs-foundation/
* Gather new or used kids’ books to donate to Read Indeed. (www.readindeed.org)
* Assist a local military family with holiday tasks such as hanging lights, holiday shopping, or provide babysitting so a parent can shop on their own. Beyond the Yellow Ribbon of River Group in Prior Lake can help you find a family.
* Get a letter from Santa from a charity and make a difference. One such organization is the Eden Prairie Women of Today (www.epwt.org).
* Look though your closets and storage areas and donate extra clothing and furniture to a local charity thrift store such as the PROP Shop in Eden Prairie or the CAP Agency Thrift Store in Shakopee.
* Donate art supplies to Free Arts MN, http://blogunteer.wordpress.com/2010/09/15/free-arts-mn.
* Donate baby items such as blankets, books, toys or movies to the Ella’s Halo organization: http://blogunteer.wordpress.com/2011/02/01/ellas-halo.
* Invite a neighbor that doesn’t have family visiting during the holidays to join your family for dinner.
This story first appeared in the December issue of Savvy.mn Magazine. Visit Savvy.mn to read more.
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