Tag: Holiday

Giving Beyond the Angel Tree

Well folks, it’s officially December, and we’re on the fast track through the holiday season and into the new year.  I have recently made the case for the benefits of simply giving money to charity (more on that here), and I maintain that remains an effective and efficient way to help your community during the holidays.  But sometimes you want to make a more tangible impact.  And typically, that impact during the holidays comes with ‘adopting’ and shopping for those in need. Christmas is a time for gratitude and perspective on the richness of our lives, and it’s humbling to think of those struggling with making their kids’ wishes come true or, more profoundly, enjoying their holiday meal in the comfort of a warm home.

Our community abounds with charitable service and support opportunities.  And let’s be clear – there’s no ambiguity about the chicken or the egg here – we can help because needs exist.  Profound needs for everyone from our eldest citizens, to veterans, to kids.  More than half of Dallas households make less than $50,000 a year, and our poverty rate remains one of the highest in the country. So it’s hard to avoid a Salvation Army Red Kettle bell ringer or a ‘checkout charity’ campaign during the holiday shopping season, and many of us choose to give in those ways.  As a matter of fact, the Red Kettle program alone raises almost $150 million for the Salvation Army each year (we’re going to need a bigger kettle…).  The Salvation Army’s holiday fundraising game is solid.  These days you will likely stumble across – you guessed it – a Salvation Army Angel Tree almost as frequently as a bell ringer, and we’re all tempted to stop and take a tag. 

Many organizations have attempted imitation, but most are merely celestial shrubs when compared to the Salvation Army Angel Tree.  There are Angel Trees in most malls in North Texas, making adoption and shopping easy as pumpkin pie.  This year the Salvation Army Angel Tree program will serve more than 45,000 kids in our community thanks to the generosity of North Texans.  So yes – the Salvation Army Angel Tree program is accessible and convenient and popular.  And it makes a tremendous community impact.  But I would encourage you to think beyond the angel tree and consider investing in lesser-known holiday programs this year.  

Some others to consider…

  • Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center Holiday of Hope Program – DCAC seeks to improve the lives of abused children in Dallas County and to lead nationwide efforts in child abuse treatment and prevention.  If you know anything about the Notorious D.C.A.C., you know that they are a guiding force in addressing the needs of children who have suffered or been witness to unthinkable abuse.  Each year the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center serves more than 5,000 children in our community; their average client is a 9-year-old girl who has been sexually abused by someone she knows and trusts.  I can’t help but think about the stories of the kids that DCAC serves, especially at Christmas.  The Holiday of Hope Program is one way that we can help bring joy to children who have overcome unimaginable circumstances. What I like about Holiday of Hope is that you get so much insight to the children you’re adopting, and you can adopt entire families.
  • Austin Street Center Apartment Starter Kit – Austin Street Center is an emergency shelter that provides shelter, meals, showers, and other services to homeless men and women in our community.  While not specifically a holiday program, Austin Street’s Start Kit drive provides an opportunity to greatly impact those in need. Austin Street collects Starter Kits (in whole or in part) for clients being placed into permanent or transitional housing.  Think of everything you needed when you moved into your first apartment.  Now, imagine that you’re moving into that apartment from a homeless shelter.
  • Stewpot Holiday Boxes – The Stewpot is a social service agency providing support to Dallas’s homeless population.  The Stewpot offers case management, training, and outreach programs to support the needs of its complex clients. Holiday Boxes contain basic toiletries and other necessities for those experiencing homelessness and provide unique opportunity for seasonal support.  
  • Community Partners of Dallas Toy Drive – If adoption or bundling isn’t your jam, consider contributing to the Community Partners Toy Drive (Who doesn’t love shopping for toys?).  Community Partners serves abused and neglected children served by Dallas County Child Protective Services, and its toy drive grants holiday wishes to more than 7,500 kids every year.  The great thing about the Community Partners drive is that have compiled a great list of popular/trending toys that they’re in need of (gift ideas, anyone?).  
  • Wish Lists, a Partridge, and a Pear Tree – Many nonprofits maintain wish lists on Amazon (holiday and otherwise) making in-kind philanthropic support super convenient.  These are a few of my favorite Dallas nonprofits’ list links, but I’d encourage you to seek out your own.

Regardless of whether you adopt a Holiday of Hope Child or put together a Stewpot Holiday Box or even grab an angel off the tree, I would suggest, nay insist, that you get your kids involved in the effort.  It sometimes takes a minute for our kids to adjust to the idea that we’re in the toy section of Target or perusing the pajamas at Old Navy and not shopping for them. (I try to keep the shopping trips for our charitable endeavors separate from other holiday errands to punctuate the experience.) But they quickly adjust. And I’m always simultaneously surprised and proud at how quickly they take ownership of the process.  They develop a distinct kinship with the people we ‘adopt’ and invest themselves in the stories of strangers.  It is my sincere hope that they grow up to cherish those memories as much as those on Christmas morning.  

I’d love to hear about your favorite holiday giving traditions!  Please take a minute to comment below.   

“For it is in giving that we receive.”  -St. Francis of Assisi