Christmas Charities

I am searching for children's X-mas giveaways for a single, pregnant mom with two children. She has extensive medical issues and is not able to work and lives with her mom who lives in Section 8 housing. The household is really struggling, I don't want the children to go without X-mas. The father is incarcerated.

By Diana

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By thriftyvicki 11/09/2011

Toys for Tots. Salvation Army. Local churches. Most every town has some sort of Santa - toy giveaway program. Call the local newspaper and ask what it is called and how to contact them.

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I'm out of work. I was let go after 9 years of work. I am looking for help for my kids for Christmas. Any suggestions?

By Crystal

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By knitter926 11/15/2011

Call 211, that is a nationwide help number. Whoever answers will get you in the right direction for help.

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This year seems to be my hardest. I have no job and am going to school full time. I live with my 9 month old grandbaby and my 8 year old son. I have no money, every little bit I do get has to go towards keeping house and home. We have what we have. We have love in our hearts because we are family, but help for Christmas would be appreciated. I hope old St. Nick is out with an open ear and heart to want to stop by our house, because God knows we have struggled this year and still managed to make it to this Christmas. Does anyone know where I can get Christmas help?

By M.King

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By redhatterb 12/05/2011

I know a lot of single parents that have went to school full time and worked at least part time and some that also worked full time. It's getting a little late to be asking charities for help, they do have deadlines so that they know how to budget for everybody needing help. When you do go to them most of them want an application filled out and they also want to know your gross income.

I assume you get food stamps, so food shouldn't be a problem. Don't worry about if the baby gets anything or not, kids that young don't know if they get anything.

As far as your son goes, you could hide a couple of his favorite toys and refurbish them(with paint or whatever) for Christmas. Shop at a dollar store and buy a coloring book and box of crayons, they can be wrapped as two separate gifts. Call the Salvation Army and see if you can still apply for help.

Also speak to your pastor, sometimes a church will take up a special "love" offering for a needy member of the congregation. There were times over the years that I would have had to seek help for Christmas, if I hadn't planned ahead and started shopping in January. No kid needs more than one gift from their parents. Also doesn't your son have grandparents, aunts, and uncles that send gifts?

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I am a disabled single father with a low income of less then $405.00 a month, not leaving me with anything for Christmas for an 8 year old girl. Where can I get some help for Christmas? Thanks.

By Earl F.

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By cheychey 12/09/2011

I'm so sorry to hear that! :( Sir I know I may only be 15 I work in a lot of charities, and I know with the economy today its hard to buy a lot of things especially with that income.

Listen my advice for you is, a lot of the people I help out have put a certain budget away for their Christmas shopping, then they go out and find the best sales out there, they keep within whatever their budget is, and their kids are happy. You also got to teach your daughter that its not all about getting gifts. Christmas is about giving, sharing, etc. I hope you do well this Christmas. Merry Christmas!

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I need help for Christmas. I don't have money for a tree or gifts for my for children.

By Christina

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By redhatterb 11/10/2011

First of all you absolutely don't need a tree, or you could do like my late mother did one year, when she saw the idea in a magazine. She took an empty coffee container and painted it white, then she filled it with sand (I imagine dirt would work too).

Then she went out in the yard and looked for a fair sized branch, when she found what she wanted laying on the ground, she spray painted it white and when dry stuck it in the can. She then decorated it with our regular decorations. She received a lot of compliments from various visitors because of her originality. You could make paper chains and cut out paper snow flakes for decorations.

For help with gifts (by now it might be getting too late, to apply for help). Call 211, that is the number for a nationwide organization called HelpLine! They keep a list of different organizations that provide various help for people.

You can also call the Salvation Army, I would recommend speaking to your pastor, sometimes if a pastor knows somebody in the congregation is real hard up, he will call for a special offering to be given to a member that needs help.

If you can't find any help, you should be able to afford to to a thrift store and spend $1.00-$2.00 for a little gift for each kid. Also if you are so hard up you must have a social worker, either from housing assistance or food stamps and they might be able to point you to organizations that can help.

From the day my kids were born to the current day (they are in their 40s) we have never given them more than one gift each. They had two sets of grand parents and a few aunts and uncles that always sent gifts. I'm sure you must have some of these relatives too. People now seem to think kids need tons of gifts in order to be happy.

Now might be a good time to explain what Christmas is. You could do this my baking and frosting a cake and spell out the words "Happy Birthday, Baby Jesus" on it. Tell the kids that is how you are celebrating Christmas this year.

However, we all know Christmas comes every year and could plan ahead. I start shopping in January and have been done for at least a month. I spend $20.00 each on each of my kids and four grandkids that range in age from15-25. If I find a $20.00 item on sale for $10-15.00, it still gets counted as a $20.00 item. All it takes is a little planning. I would never be able to buy gifts for my whole family if I didn't start my shopping in January.

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I am a single mother of six wonderful children. They are 11, 7, 3, 1, and twins that are 4 months old. I was enrolled in school, but I had to take off because I was put on bed rest for two weeks. Then I went into premature labour two months early so my twins had to stay in the hospital for awhile. Then I just had a full hysterectomy on November due to having cancer.

I don't really have any help with Christmas for my children. I'm literately heart broken I don't know what to do. Please if anyone knows of some help please let me know. Thank you and God bless!

By Jessica C

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By jojo01 12/07/2011

I would post this on Reddit. I know the community there is awesome. You may also want to talk to the social worker, school psychologist, or school counselor at your children's school. These people are typically familiar with local community resources that can assist with families in need.

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I'm a single mother, my unemployment ran out and I can't find a job. I would like to know if there are any charities or organizations that could please help me provide a Christmas for my children, including food and gifts.

By JH

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By redhatterb 11/19/2011

If you are unemployed you should be on food stamps so you shouldn't have to worry about food. There were times when I was kid that we had meat loaf, baked potatoes, and a veggie for Christmas dinner, because that is what we could afford.

There were times when my kids were small and there was just our family of four that I served a turkey roast because it was more appropriate for the size of our family and cheaper than a full turkey.

Being you are a single mother, you should be receiving child support, and if you have no cash income at all there are more important things you should be worried about other than Christmas. The thing to do when you are low income, is to plan ahead.

I start my shopping in January, for my adult kids and four grandkids that range in age from 15-25. I spend $20.00 on each of them. None of them got any of the expensive toys that are advertised on TV and none of them have ever received anything with a designer name on it.

All any kid needs is one gift each, from their parents. Your kids must have grandparents and aunts and uncles must give them gifts. Also I would assume their Dad gives them gifts. My jerk of an "ex" who is also Mr. Tightwad, gives our adult kids money for their birthdays and Christmas.

As far as jobs go the fast food places are always hiring, all an applicant has to do is be willing to work there. When I was 67 I worked for two years in a fast food place, and I had never done that before in my life. It wasn't easy because of some of my health problems, but I enjoyed meeting different people.

For help there is HELPLINE!, a national clearing house for organizations in different areas that provide different types of help. Also you can call the Salvation Army they are good about helping people.

However, you should also speak to the pastor of your church, sometimes they will take up a special offering for a needy family in their church. Where I live most of the places that provide Christmas help have passed their deadlines for taking applications. They also want to know your gross income. A lot of them also have an age limit of 12 years for gifts.

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How can I receive second hand clothes and shoes for all ages? I would like to share with our church members that are less privileged for this Xmas season. I would appreciate it if anyone can help in Zimbabwe.

By Amina from Harare

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11/25/2011

You can ask United States churches. There are a lot of christian and baptist churches in TN that would probably love to help. One that comes to mind is "Hope Community Church in Surgoinsville, TN. Good luck and may God Bless you.

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My name is Sharon and I am contacting you in hopes that you knew of anyone who is looking to adopt a family in need for Christmas this year or if you knew of any organizations that are. I have contacted 211 and they have nothing and 2 of my children are too old to receive gifts from Toys for Tots. I would really like for them to have a nice Christmas, if possible.

I am a single mother of 4 children and I can't afford to do anything for them. I am barely keeping my bills current. It would be a blessing if there was anything you could do to help me. I would be very grateful for any helpful ideas. Thank you for taking the time to read and God Bless you!
Most places have stopped offering to help families already!
By Sharon S

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By redhatterb 11/28/2011

A lot of the charities have a cut off age limit of 12 years. Speak to the pastor of your church, sometimes a church will take up a special offering for a needy member of the congregation. You are right about most places having passed the deadline for applications. When you apply, you also have to tell your income. Are you more hard up this year than last year? No kid needs more than one gift each from a parent. I assume their Dad sends gifts, as do grandparents, aunts and uncles.

There have been lots of times in the past that I would have had to ask for help, if I didn't start shopping in January. One gift a month or every two months won't bankrupt a person providing you don't purchase things advertised on TV or with designer labels. My kids have never received anything advertised on TV or with a designer label. Now that I am buying gifts for my adult kids and adult grandkids I follow the same practice. $20.00 each and that is it. If I find a $20.00 item on sale for $10-15.00, it is still counted as a $20.00 item.

My 84 year old aunt was telling me a couple weeks ago that when she was 10 years old her favorite doll got lost, her parents and older sisters didn't know where it was. Then on Christmas morning when she walked into the living room the doll was sitting on top of the piano with a complete new wardrobe, that my aunt's mother sewed during the time my aunt was in school. You could do that with some of the things your kids have, hide one or two of each of their belongings to refurbish it, in whatever way it needs.

Also kids can always use a t-shirt, and the discount store that I use the most, has adult size ones for between $5-10.00 each. Of course, it is getting late to start shopping too. If the kids are quite young, pre-school/primary grades a color book and crayons can be wrapped as two gifts. You can try the Salvation Army, but I don't know what their deadline is. There is also a an organziation called Volunteers of America in some areas, but there again the deadline is past, because they have names with ages of various kids on trees at my WalMart. From what

I understand the Volunteers of America are working with the Department of Social Services to get the information for needy families in the area. You could also talk to your social worker for food stamps or whatever, they might know of some place you could get some help. But the best bet in the future is to plan ahead.

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