Give Local: Guide to Holiday Charity [Part Three]
A Few Organizations with Wish Lists
LifeWorks helps youth and families in need by providing housing, counseling, and education to those in need. They also operate Austin's only walk-in, emergency shelter. Their Project Holiday Help campaign encourages donors to adopt a youth or family in need. LifeWorks also needs backpacks to hand out to homeless youth - each backpack kit includes socks, a sleeping bag, a warm hat, gloves, hygiene products, and non-perishable foods. Look over their complete wish list for details. Donations can be dropped off at 3700 South 1st Street between 8am and 5pm Monday through Friday.
Helping Hand Home for Children was established in 1893 after a newborn baby was found abandoned in a shoebox at Austin's railway station. 116 years later, the organizations provides a therapeutic home setting for children how have been abused, neglected, and abandoned. Helping Hand Home is always looking for gift certificates for area retailers and kid-friendly entertainment (Children's Museum, Austin Zoo, movie rentals or tickets, etc.). The residential treatment home is always looking for donations of new baby clothes, disposable diapers, educational toys and activities, even hair cutting services. Check out their full wish list for specific wish list requests and information on arranging a drop off.
Out Youth provides support and services to gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, and questioning youth in Austin and Central Texas. Their Hyde Park drop-in center provides sanctuary, resources, counseling, and events to area teens. They are always looking for donations of snacks and drinks, basic supplies, and other wish list items. Out Youth has also assembled an Amazon registry of books that would make great additions to their library - the largest LGBTQ lending library in Central Texas. Consider tossing a book or two into your Amazon cart!
Follow this post after the jump for our list of Organizations with Gifts that Give Back.
Organizations with Gifts that Give Back
AIDS Services of Austin provides testing, prevention support, legal services, care giving, and case management to enhance the health and well-being of the community in the face of an ever growing epidemic. On Monday, December 14th, they are holding their final Red Ribbon Dinner of 2009 at Zoot. Consider purchasing tickets to the fabulous five-course feast complete with wine pairing for a gift. What a perfect way to celebrate the middle of Hanukkah or the holidays in general! AIDS Services of Austin is also selling holiday cards and of course, always looking for volunteers and donors.
Austin Children's Shelter provides a safe-haven for children who are removed from their homes due to life-threatening abuse or neglect. This holiday season they are sponsoring a Project Santa Holiday Drive for donations of art and music therapy supplies, therapy toys, educational gifts, and more. They've also teamed up with Teo Espresso and Gelato to offer gift baskets of coffee, tea, and Italian Chocolates with a portion of the proceeds benefiting ACS. Twenty percent of ticket sales for A Texas Christmas Carol at the Long Center will be donated to the Austin Children's Shelter when you enter the promotional code "AUSCHILDSHELTER" when ordering tickets
The Red Cross has put together a Holiday Giving Catalog where you can make donations that support military families, disaster victims in the States, and families in need around the world. A donation of $18 provides three warm blankets to victims of disaster. A $50 donation can provide a Red Cross Comfort Gift to a wounded soldier. $75 provides a Red Cross volunteer with a bicycle to aid with access to remote disaster torn areas. The Red Cross will include gift t-shirts, first aid kits, and emergency radios at various minimum order rates.
