Giveaway Results: Harry Potter Box Set & The Tales of Beedle the Bard

I am giving unopened Christmas toys to my son’s school.

This Christmas we are going to participate in the angel tree.

One charitable thing we have planned? Let’s see…

We’re going through all of my daughter’s toys and figuring out what we can donate to a good cause – and then we’re taking the cost of one toy that we would buy her and spending that on a brand new toy for someone else!

Donating our old winter coats to charity.

I am in charge of my church’s pantry. My charitable “thing” is making sure that all of the families that come to visit have enough food for the holidays. Also, we “adopt” families at this church. I suggested 8 of the 12 families we are adopting this year. They are really struggling. I am hoping to pick up a few Christmas gifts for some of them.

I already have books 1-7, so I really just want to be a runner-up. LOL

Hugs,
Melinda

We have a $50 gift card to Wal-Mart that we are going to give to some struggling friends who have very young children. I’m sure if nothing else they can use it for diapers!

We are giving gifts of Micro Loans to people in Haiti to start a business, then they pay it back and pay it forward to others. We donate the money in someone’s name and they get a giftcard saying the gift was made.

We are sponsoring a young lady from a girls home. My son has been so excited to find her presents for Christmas.

we finish up making our charity donations, making sure we gave 10% of our year’s income away.

I am continuing to do my donations this year. Give a Kid a Coat campaing, Toys for Tots, Food Donation to our local Food Bank, and Shoebox Campaign

I’m donating money monthly to keep the food pantry stocked.

We will be donating to Toys for Tots this year. We’ll probably have each of the kids pick a toy out in lieu of one of their own gifts.

We are participating again in our church Angel Tree. It not only helps children, but adults from places like shelters for battered women too. I have such a wonderful family that we always scrape together the money to help someone who is less fortunate or alone for the holidays.

I’m doing winter cleaning.I live in Texas so 70% of my clothes are for warm weather.Now’s the perfect time to go through them and donate the ones that I will not be wearing next year, and since I’m paring down on clothes, I also parting with books, toys, food that won’t get eaten here no matter how hard I try, etc.

I have and continue to donate and support the Salvation Army.

My family adopted a soldier earlier this year. We’ve been emailing and sending care packages. I’m trying to raise money through my blog to buy him a portable DVD player for Christmas. We’ve also given a toy through my son’s school and a toy to military families.

We are giving another family a brood of chickens through http://www.samaritanspurse.org.

I will be donating to our school’s annual Widener collection. Widener is the school near our high school for the mentally or physically handicapped. Every year we hold a talent show for them. It’s a great tradition!

I’m going to donate food and help wrap gifts for homeless children!

We will be donating clothes and toys to Goodwill. And shopping there for Christmas too

I have a Publix gift card that I’ll be giving to a family in need. Also toys for toy drive at kids’ school.

We always help a family in need.

My church group is helping a family in need with Christmas gifts, groceries, etc. We also regularly donate food and money to our church’s food pantry.

We are donating a goat to a 3rd world family in poverty through the World Vision website.

We are traveling to Haiti to work at an orphanage for a week. We are bringing a lot of food and toys with us. Life is always hard there, but it has been especially difficult since the terrible floods a few months ago.

I am giving the gift of courtesy to all I come in contact with this season, especially store personnel. I have noticed for years now how in this time of “goodwill towards men” people seem be even more rude and insensitive to others than usual in their “rush” to “enjoy” and “get ready for” the season. I hope my example will not only give a moment of respite to the person receiving it but make others give pause at their actions and pass on a gift of a little kindness.

We plan to help a family with some food and necessities.

In lieu of giving Christmas gifts in our family this year, we have adopted a family from an organization that helps abused women and are buying gifts for that family instead.

we are donating food to our local food bank – the boys are very excited to go shopping for it too!

We donate to the battered women’s shelter each year.

I buy an Angel tree gift, one for a child and one for the zoo. I donate hats/gloves to a church who then provides them to people in need. And I donated food to a person who recently lost his job.

we are planning to give old blankets,towels, and sheets to the local animal shelters to keep the babies warm.

We always fill at least one shoe box for Operation Christmas Child. Our girls love to pick out toys, hats, gloves, etc. for them.

Thanks so much for the chance!

Last year on our daughters first Christmas, instead of buying her gifts (since she didn’t know the meaning of them) we donated to a charity in her name. This year (she’s 14 months) we plan on doing the same thing except also buying her a couple of things too

Every year each person in our family chooses a child from the angle tree. Some of the kids are grown and on their own and are doing this now with their families. We also donate to food pantry at the kids schools.
kenandbetty2005@gmail.com

We picked a family off the local giving tree and bought Christmas gifts for them. The Man-Cub came out of the store and said “That was so much fun!”

We are filling some stockings to donate to a local charity.

My friends and I usually have a “Dirty Santa”-style gift swap with a dollar limit. This year, instead of wasting money on nonspecific junk none of us really needs, we decided to adopt two “angels” from the Salvation Army Angel Tree.

It was so much more rewarding to buy school clothes for a little boy and comfy slippers for a disabled woman than to pick out yet another scented candle that would just collect dust in a friend’s closet. We’re going to make this an annual tradition.

I give food to a co-workers food bank. I actually do this through out the year, but I give more food now. And I adopt a family from the salvation army.

We do several things – a food bank donation, Angel Tree and old towels & old blankets to a local animal shelter!!

We are huge HP fans and would love to win this.

My family will be sponsoring another family this holiday season.

Mercedes

We are giving to overseas missionaries.

We make a point of having the kids help us with at least one charitable event/item each month during the year. For Christmas we have been saving spare change and will sponsor dinner costs at the local Rescue Mission

We have $20 worth of Disney Bucks that we didnt spend at Disneyland this year so my daughters chose not to get each other gifts with them but to buy gifts for someone in need. We will be picking off a helping tree in our local town. Im so proud of this idea they came up with.

Our family is making Christmas cookies and taking them to a local assisted living center. Then we’re all going to sing for the residents. (I may just pretend to sing, and let the kids sing

We will be serving food to the poor and hungry one night. We are also sending a bunch of gifts to Mexico! Thanks for this awesome giveaway!

We are donating toys to Toys for Tots.

This year a group of girls from work did a bake sale, basket sale and sub sale to raise money for a coworker’s family who died unexpectedly. He left behind his wife and 6 children.

Adopt an angel for Christmas!

I’m giving to a local fund that helps pay heating bills.

I keep all the lists my various groups – church, mothers of twins, etc. – put out for the families they are helping and pick up at least one thing from a list every time I am out shopping.

Giving canned goods for local organization.
Thanks so much!

We are participating in sponsoring needy families in our churches St. Vincent DePaul organization. We donate bags of groceries and new toys/gifts for a family, we deliver these Christmas boxes oursleves to the families. Toys for Tots through my children’s school.

My children help deliver groceries to senior citizens in our community every week — we will slip an appropriate extra holiday goodie in the bag.

Our church has been asked to provide a gift for each second grader and a food basket for their family at the school we do volunteer reading work at. We will be donating to this project as well.

I am giving cash to every Salvation Army “bell-ringer” I see this year. Most years, I give off-and-on, depending on how much of a hurry I’m in, etc. This year, I’m pulling out GREEN instead of silver for each bucket!

My family and I just delivered both new and used goods to a local shelter today. Is something we love to do. Food, clothing, household items, each little bit helps and can put a smile on someone’s face.

Thanks so much for the great prize, I’m a HP fiend.

We are working on care packages for soldiers that are away from their loved ones during this holiday season, including some of our loved ones that are serving.

Through our Mom’s group we’ve signed up to buy toys, clothes, etc. for 2 needy kids for Christmas. As a whole our group is helping about 30 kids. We try to do this every year either through some group or by picking an Angel from the angel tree.

This is a great giveaway. Thanks!

We were given a gift card to Wal-Mart and we’re going to use some of that money to sponsor a needy family from the local angel tree. Thanks for the giveaway!

Every time I walk into a store to shop, I put all of the change I have in my purse to the Salvation Army. Since I use cash to pay for virtually everything, this adds up to a lot!

We do the Angel Tree every year – my kids love getting to pick a kid and their presents. We have in the past chosen children close to my kids’ ages, but this year, we wanted a baby!

Thanks, Alice

My Husband are planning to go to a soup kitchen closer to the holidays and help out for the day! Its a great feeling. Happy Holidays!

This year we will donate a wrapped toy to a needy child.

Thanks for the great giveaway!
Christine

This year instead of doing a gift exchange at my in-laws we are adopting a family in their area and supplying all of their needs for christmas. I also take this time of year to donate toys and clothes that my kids don’t use anymore so that others can make use of them.

I’ve already been charitable once this season with more to come. A local family went on the local news asking for help. While I have no money to offer I did have a twenty five dollar Lane Bryant gift card that I had never used. I contacted the family, got their address and sent it to them. It warms my heart to know that their teen daughters will have some clothes under the christmas tree.
A wonderful giveaway. Thank you!

im always donating food and my time at hospitals to bring joy to kids

We are donating several coats to Coats For Kids, thanks.

I donated all my Coke Rewards to Toys for Tots this year. Also donated Christmas gifts for our local Angel Tree (local Food Shelf) Also donated lots of clothes to charity. There are so many things people can do for the holidays to help out. Just stop and think, if you were in need of help, donations would help you also. Just by doing something small means the world to someone that needs your help.

We have been working on care packages for a solider serving in Kuwait, and also helping take care of a family in our church that is really struggling with medical bills right now.

We had a food drive at our church last Sunday and we help fill Community Christmas Baskets each year.

We’re making available a nice mobile home for free to the county shelter system for placing a homeless family.

We pick names of anonymous children that have no Christmas and buy them gifts, also participate in a program that makes gift boxes of toys for children in underpriviledged countries

My daughter’s Girl Scout troop is giving toys to TOYS FOR TOTS, we have been doing this for the last 3 years. We have been trying to teach the girls that is ALWAYS better to give then to recieve, we also have been doing a food drive for are local PADS shelter.

We took 15 bags of clothes to the salvation army near our home because they were running low on clothing there for the adults and children.We will also be gathering a bunch of other items that we will be taking there or goodwill.

I own an in-home daycare and we took them to “stuff the bus” a Toys for Tots campaign sponsored by a local radio station where they fill public transportstion buses full of toys to help the Marines with this campaign. The kids had a blast putting the toys on the bus to help others (by the way they have filled over 5 buses so far, WOW).We are also sponsoring a family at our church who has faced some hardship this year.

I like to be charitable through donating items like clothes and hygiene kits to Teens who are having a rough time and giving baby supplies to teen mothers who need things to take care of there babies. We did this as an activity in my ward.

We are giving new toys to our daughter’s preschool for a needy child.

Adopt a family

Since last Christmas I have knitted 19 hats and several scarves to place on the “giving tree” at our church. I knit all year to make winter items for those who can’t. My son has latched onto some others of my hats to give to his friends who are without.

Charitible contributions we’re making this Christmas season. Hmm. We’ve already gone through my kids’ toys, and are sending some to my brother who lives in Malaysia, to give to the kids in his area who have almost nothing. And, I volunteer for our local children’s hospital annual Christmas event called The Festival of Trees. 100% of proceeds go to the hospital. And, it’s so fun to go to!

Thanks for the chance to win!

adopting a family from family and children services and also donating blankets to the local church drives.

We are cleaning up the toys and giving them away to others and organizations.
We also bake cookies and bring them to friends and also to support our troops who are away and keep us safe

Ny daughether does the food for families drive at school and Toys for tots at my dads office every holiday season.

We already sent out two shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. And we’re sponsering a mom of two children at our church whose husband just left.

We will go through the children’s toys and see what we can share with others. We also give to our favorite charities at the end of the year. Plus our church takes a manger offering throughout the month of December and we will be contributing to that. The kids Awana club also make up baskets for people/families at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

We chose an “angel tree” child and bought them a gift to be given to them by their parent who is in jail.

Wow this is an awesome set I have none this would be great! But I would have to give it to my niece which is a huge fan!

My church group is preparing a few suitcases of blankets and clothing to take over to South Africa to give to the orphaned children there. I will be participating in preparing the gifts.

There is an autistic boy at my son’s school who mother lost her job several months ago. We are donating food and “age” appropriate toys for him.

We always participate in Toys for Tots and give to our local food banks. I also volunteer to stuff and deliver the food baskets that go out to families over the holidays.

We are donating food and clothes to families still struggling from Hurricane Ike.

We packed two boxes for Operation Christmas Child. My son packed one for a boy and my daughter one for a girl.

Donating toys & food To needy familys.

We adopt a family and purchase x-mas gifts for their children and sometimes cook x-mas dinner for them.

The other day my husband and I checked the mail and somebody blessed us with $500. So now we are going to use some of that to buy presents for a family that can’t afford much this year. We bought the kids halloween costumes and birthday presents earlier this year. And they loved it so I hope this one really makes christmas a great experience for them.

This year my family is leading a small neighborhood group in creating Christmas baskets for 5 local needy families. My daughter suggested that this year we, with the help of 2 other families on our block, adopt families through her school. The baskets are made up of everything the family will need to make a nice Christmas dinner, Christmas candies, and toys for each child, along with a 50.00 gift certificate to a local grocery store to buy perishable items like a turkey.

My Charitable contribution this season, I have Donated Mine and my husband’s old coat to a local shelter here where we live and, I have signed up this past week with my employer to donate $5 dollars a week for 1 year to be deducted from my paycheck for the United Way.

We make Operation Christmas Child boxes – one for each of our kids. I also donate all of my surplus (from shopping CVS) to our Urban Ministries which supplies toiletry items to the homeless that come to the shelters.

We have a fairly large family so I can’t do anything big, but our family gives to the food drive at the kids school, I make sure each child has a least one thing to give a day, it usually last about 1 week, we give to the bell ringers, whenever we shop and see a bell ringer we give the change from what we brought. there are many other places that we give to, but like I said it nothing big but I make sure I give to each one I see out in our community that says they need help.
The Moran Family

My girls are four this year so we’ve been trying to make our giving this holiday season something they can relate to so we donated for the first time to Samaratin’s Purse-Operation Chrismas Child OCC). Its a sweet concept…put all sorts of small Christmas-y items that fit in a shoe box, wrap the box, add a small check to cover shipping and handling and OCC delivers the gifts to children in the US and all over the world. Thanks for Frugal Vegcafe for letting us know about OCC.

Instead of giving each other goodies and gifts, our neighborhood is having a food drive. My kids also brought spare change to school for a fundraiser for needy families.

I’ve always hated sewing and quilts but this year I’m determined to give it a try and the only way I could talk myself into it was by deciding I would make them for our local homeless shelter. That way if they aren’t picture perfect I know someone will still appreciate them.

We adopt a family at work instead of a gift exchange.

I help with a christmas party for underprivilaged children and their familys. the children get their pictures with santa as well as a toy and all the games and food they can enjoy. We have sent out 129 invites out as of 12/1.

This year like the past ones also, I give monetary donations to the salvation army bucket collectors outside of the stores. At my daughter’s school they have been collecting for the service members in Iraq, collecting gently used books for donations to kids, and for Families Helping Families services in which we have donated items to all 3(monetary to the FHF), also have picked a tag from the salvation army gift tree at my local grocery store in which we bought a gift for a child. It makes us feel great to be able to give even though I don’t make alot of money being a single mom, but have more then many people for which I am grateful..Happy Holidays!!!

We are donating to the food pantry, singing at a retirement home, and donating some items for toys for tots.

We have already drawn a name off of the “Christmas for Seniors” tree at our local Wal-mart and bought towels, wash cloths, and a throw, as requested, for a lady named Mary. Merry Christmas, Mary!

So far this past month my girls and I have gone through their closets and toys and donated four tubs of toys, 2 large bags of clothes, and a crib with mattress to families in need. Today we are going to a Toys for Tots event. It’s very important my girls learn that they can help others who are less fortunate in these tough times.

Made donation to food pantry and dog food for shelter.

We have collected toys for migrant workers, collected stuffed bears for pediatric patients in our local hospital and gathered coats for those in need.

I have cleaned out, and I am giving clothes and books away. Also, at my work, instead of doing something for each other, we are all donating money to the Ronald McDonald house which supports the Cancer Center here at our work. We try and do something charitable each year. Thanks for the giveaway.

it’s a great gift u could give these to anyone young or

I bought some coats to give to my church for our coat drive, the thought of someone not having a coat is so sad its a privlidge to make sure everyone has one this time of year….also my bible study group adopted a family to help out so they will have an awesome christmas!!!

thanks for the chance to win this set I love Harry Potter and so do my boys….

My husband and me usually find the stores that have names on the tree… where they list what they need and the age and name of the child, and then you shop trough the store for those items and turn them if at customer service. We usually each do one kid, depending on the wish list. I think we will be doing this again this year!

My friend and I volunteering our time to help deliver meals to in the local area. This is the first time for us and I think that it will open our eyes to how many poeple in our area really need help.

I am teaching my three of five how to help the those who need it. We go and serve the homeless at the food back in our town.

My husband and I annual donate two bicycles to Toys for Tots, plus, I am in a mom’s group that collectively are assisting a single mother of four celebrate the holiday.

Our local schools are great at organizing food drives, social service drives (toys,gloves, hats, etc) so that it’s easy to send in donations to give to local organizations. My son’s teacher bought and the kids decorated pumpkins for local young cancer patients before Halloween. We also donate to national events like books to kids in New Orleans and send care packages to soldiers.

We have adopted three children from our military post’s Angel Tree. We’re also sending a care package to a friend’s husband who is currently deployed to Iraq.

Donating food for the local food drive… also setting up computers free for local seniors…

My children and I sorted through toys they have outgrown and donated them to GoodWill. We also selected a senior citizen to sponsor for Christmas and am getting a bike for a 10yr old girl through our church’s giving tree.

This year, at a holiday party, instead of exchanging gifts in a polly-anna, we are collecting items for a local shelter like cleaning supplies, toiletries, and art supplies.

Loved reading what others will be doing!

We have donated boxes of clothing, new toys and food to our local Mission. Our kids also donated toys to the Salvation Army toy drive and volunteered their time at a food drive.

Our family has donated canned food through our daycare, prepared two shoe boxes full of goodies for Operation Christmas Child through our church, we donated excess Christmas decorations to a needy family we know and we plan to bake and give cookies/breads to our local Fire Department too. If anything else comes up we are open to it! There is no greater joy.

We have done several can food drives and coats for the cold drives as well. This helps to keep my kids grounded and thankful for what they do have, while helping those who are less fortunate!

We are making Christmas baskets for men in Teen Challenge–a Christian drug and alcohol rehabilitation program.

donate at every Salvation Army red can you see and a toy for tots. Also through our preschool co-op helping out a family.

My grandson and I pick a Senior Citizen from the tree at Walmart and buy whats on their wish list for them.

I plan on going to the Ronald McDonald House where I usually volunteer and doing some extra labor, such as wrapping presents for the families staying there.

We are going to give bags of groceries to our local charity that gives food out to families in need.

We are not exchanging gifts in our office. Instead we are adopting a family for Christmas. We are providing the food for their Christmas dinner. We are also buying gifts for Mom & Dad & their 3 kids. With so many people out of work it is a blessing to be able to do this for a family.

Several years ago my family decided that the adults in the family really didn’t need another material Christmas gift. At our family Christmas party the adults donate the money they would have spent to our ‘charity box’. We give half the proceeds to the Arthritis Foundation in memory of my sister and my father. The other half goes to a charity we decide by simple majority voting. It really has become a great tradition in my family.

I donate food donations through my son’s school, donated the kids clothes/coats and donated to my favorite organization…nvic.org.

Every Christmas we empty our daughter’s toy box and take the toy (our daughter goes for the delivery) to the Battered Women Center in town. We also clean out the closet and dresser.

I just read about the St Judes Ranch recycled card program. I always feel bad about throwing away old Christmas cards, but St Judes will take them and make them into new cards to sell to raise money.

We are donating clothes and shoes to our local church and charities.

Giving toys to the Toy Convoy which provides toys to needy families in the area.

I adopted 2 kittens from a local shelter. All of our area shelters are incredibly over-run. We also plan on donating all sorts of supplies to them.

I lead a Bible Study at a local girls home. Tonight my church is having a Christmas party for them and each girl will get presents from Santa.

Also, my husband and I are going to adopt a angel from the “Shut-in Angel Tree.”

This is a great giveaway! I would LOVE to have this gift set to give to my 11 year old brother!

We’ve left food and blankets and some plushies for the hurricane victims in Houston this past summer. This winter we’ve donated coats to people who have no winter coats and unwrapped toys for the Salvation Army to give this Christmas. It’s not just the holiday season when people are in need so please donate what and when you can!

i plan to do for toys 4 tots and help out familys with Xmas every year theres some kids that have nothing and would like to help all we can do is are best to help

I plan to, as I do every year go through my nice clothes and donate some of them to a women’s shelter so the ladies can have nice clothes to job hunt in. I also buy those little knit gloves every year by the bunch and give them to a school to give out to children that need something to cover their hands with when it is cold outside at playtime. I started doing this when my daughter was young and the teachers greatly appreciate it.

I took my daughter to KB Toys and told her about Toys For Tots. She picked out a Dora game for “her kid” and purchased it. She then gave it to the soldier outside of the store to put in the TFT bin.

My 2 oldest children (8 and 10) volunteer for our local REINdeer program that donates wrapped toys to families that cannot afford them. Its nice to see my children learn that they shouldnt take what they have for granted.

Instead of having a list of things I’d like this year, I’m letting my friends and relatives know that I’m saving up to purchase a flock of chicks through Heifer International and they’re welcome to give a few dollars for that.

We plan to donate our winter coats from last year to people who need them this year.

We are taking a couple boxes of non-perishable food to a food bank. We are also sponsoring a child from an angel tree. We are serving Christmas Eve dinner at a homeless shelter.

I have adopted a family for Christmas and am very excited to be helping out those in more need than me. I am by no means wealthy, but we’re doing okay, and can afford to help others this holiday season.

I have gave all the coats that my girls have out grown to their school to give to another child.

I am going to go through my boys’ toys and give at least half to someone else who needs them.

We donate clothes and toys that are in great condition for other people to use. We also donate can goods, and do the angel tree.

One of the things that we are doing this season is the angel tree at church. We draw an angel and buy multiples of the item on the list for the local food bank to use during the holidays.

MY DAUGHTER PASSED AWAY SO I DONTE WHAT I NORMALLY SPEND ON HER TO EASTER SEALS.SHE WAS A PAST EASTER SEALS CHILD

I donated a phone card through the USO for deployed soldiers. Also, I will be donating to “Goodfellows”, a local charity organization that helps people in need throughout the year.

I make Christmas gift boxes for Christmas child operation and donate to a local food bank.

We are buying toys to donate through our church program.

I am taking homemade desserts to our local homeless shelter. I have also been stockpiling coffee that I get for cheap on sale and with coupons to donate to the shelter.
They really enjoy something homemade from scratch at the shelter because they eat alot of bakery leftovers.

I paid the field trip fee for 4 students who could not afford to go see the play “your a good man Charlie brown”

I’m in the local chapter of the Mom’s Club and we are donating 2 Christmas dinner baskets and gifts to 2 local needy families.

we give to charities,churches etc thorought the year, i am giving to my son’s preschool for the children not so privelaged

My friends and I organized a drive through work to send care packages to several sailors in hazardous duty areas overseas.

Thanks for the wonderful giveaway!

We live in Orange County and have been struck with nasty fires right by our house many neighbors have lost their houses. We had a wonderful money donation that my kids all donated what money they had and we also have brought tons of food to help the people that still don’t have a home to go to yet.

This year I barely have money for my kids presents, but what I do have is time, so I am volunterring at their Head Start to help the kids make ornaments and picture frames, I am using materials Ive had around the house for a long time and it should be really fun, 18 kids ab=ges 3-5 it is such a fun age.

My workplace has decided against a gift exchange, and we are collecting money for local needy families. It feels great to be giving back to the community!

We will go caroling at the Nursing Home that my deceased Mom used to work at.

My little daughter is 18 months and never got the chance to know her. It is one of the ways I will try to connect to my Mom and those she loved and left behind.

We are giving gifts to orphans and volunteering at a booth at their christmas carnival.

My family was living in a shelter several years ago and know what it means to have nothing for the holidays. So we do the Christmas angels evry year. My children are now adults and still do it

Every time I go to Barnes and Noble during the holiday season I buy a book to donate to children who need them.

Both of my kids each picked out a book for the local Children’s Hospital and donated their changes to the Salvation Army.

Through our church we did Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. We’ll be helping with Midnight Riders where a group of us raise money to buy food and presents for several needy families, then drop the gifts off after dark on Christmas Eve, ring the door bell, and run!

we don’t have any big project, but we tithe 10% of our income, bring meals to neighbors who are sick or have new babies, bake cookies to share, pick up trash, and Christmas carol.

My whole family went to our local church and worked and delivered Thanksgiving meals to families on Thanksgiving this year. This is a tradition of ours and after we always see a movie together.

In my job, I watch people struggle everyday to get a paycheck and I hope to pick up as many small gifts as I can to hand out near the holiday to them to bring a little cheer their way.

For my parents gifts- who have everything and we never know what to get them, my husband and I donate to something that they like. For instance, they go on medical mission trips, so I look for something that would be similar to donate to.

MY SON BOUGHT A TOY FOR TOTS AND HE ALSO FOR FOOD TO THE POOR YEAR AROUND.

Our family likes to give a plate full of holiday food for any of the trustees that might not have family at Thanksgiving or Christmas down at our local police station. We do it so they won’t feel alone, they know at least two people care whether they have a home-cooked meal at the holiday.

Giving time & aid to help a family in need, hopefully making it a better Holiday Season for them.

I am a CVSer so I will be donating a bunch of toiletries to the homeless shelter.

We have ordered Angel Food Boxes to be donated as well as giving blood for our troops at the local air national guard.

I love the Salvation Army and all their bell ringers. I always drop in what ever money I have left when leaving the stores. We can’t thank them enough for the work they do.

This year we participated in a Sub-for-Santa gift giving. They were three little girls and I had so much fun getting them girly things!

well this year is a big year for me its my sons 1st x-mas and even though he wont remember it i will love it its also his 1st birthday this month to so im gonna be really busy we will go to my mothers and open gifts out there but other than that its all about my son. also my sister is the biggest harry potter fan she has all the books and movies she would love this for x-mas and it would be one less thing i would have to buy so that would be a plus

my wife and i clean out our closet every year and we give the useable clothes to a holiday drive held by a local radio station

I donated 3 huge bags of new and used clothes and toys to a needy family. The 2 young girls in that family where excited beyond words. Gives you the best feeling in the world.

I am baking cookies for a family in financial trouble. They have 5 children and snacks and cookies are a luxury.
Merry Christmas to everyone.

I’m cancer free for 1 year 11months now. And last year I made my “secret cupcakes” for the nurses and staff at the Cancer center where I had radiation for two months. This year I plan to make cookies for them and I’m also going to include the staff and the nurse of my Oncologist with my “secret cupcakes”. They have been and still are always looking out for me and calling to check on my recovery between my quarterly visits. My gyn doctor even calls personally to check on me. That means more than you know when you live alone and have to go through the big “C”.

We celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah. On the first day of Hanukkah, we have the kids take all their toys to donate and our coats as well. I’m also going to give blood on that day (the supply is critical at this time of year, get out and do it if you can!). On Christmas morning we are going to a shelter sponsored by my father-in-law’s work and passing out wrapped toys.

I am helping out a couple of familys by cooking them a christmas dinner and getting some gifts for the children. I have been down in the past and i know what it is like trying to figure out how to give my children a christmas. I always told them that it is not about the gifts it is about us being together as a family and thanking god for giving us our lifes and its about celebarting the birth of jesus not expensive gifts

We are buying gifts for two children off of a giving tree from our mall.

Every year my daughter and I sponsor a Senior Citizen. For the past 10 years we go to the same senior citizen center and choose I person off the wish list and make there wishes come true. The wish could be a stuffed animal or even a train set. We also donate money towards The Humane Society. Animals need love too.

My coworkers and I adopted a family for Christmas and we will not only supply gifts but everything they need for a great holiday meal.

I am volunteering tomorrow to take a needy child shopping for clothes and shoes. Next weekend I am donating gifts off a wish list from CHOC of orange county. I plan to volunteer at a soup kitchen to serve a holiday meal.

We donate to our local (Austin) food bank, donate a bike in the Bikes for Kids, and boy and girl coat in the Coats for Kids. These all happen around the holidays.

I wanted to teach my grandchildren about charitable giving and activity so I took 3 of them shopping to fill a shoebox to be donated to Franklin Graham’s Shoebox Ministry. All during shopping we spoke about who might get this and how they would feel. I plan to do this each year.

I am donating a large bag of winter clothing

I will be getting and wrapping presents for seniors in the community.

we always give a toy for tots every year such a wonderful feeling knowing every little bit counts and I helped

We always have the kids take canned goods to school for the food drive. This gets them involved and every year they always ask what they can bring.

I am a single mother of three children. My kids have everything that they need, and some of the things that they want. I wanted my children to be grateful for the things that they do have. So, this season, I started a new family tradition, one that I wish I started a long time ago. I volunteered myself and my children to help serve food to a home that houses speacial needs kids. These children were as young as 5 and on up to 17 years of age. We did this for Thanksgiving, and we will do it again for Christmas. My teenage son hesitated at first, but after that experience, he is looking forward to doing this evry year. I was even surprised with my 7 and 4 year old daughters. We all enjoyed this very much. So even if you do not have money to spare, you can always give up some time to volunteer.

rsendejo@gmail.com

Happy Holidays,
The one charitable thing I have planned for the holiday season is, My step son who is 15 Loves Reading & LOVES Books and wants more books this Christmas. So he is giving to local Help Hand(they help the community with food clothes etc for low income people),a dozen books for other child so they too can read. I would Love to win this giveaway it would be a great present from his most favorite author.. Thank you for a great giveaway.

My family donates to our local Goodwill all year long any clothes, toys and household items we no longer need but are still in great condition. We are going to our local Walmart to purchase items for at least 2 children off the Angel tree this year.

I am baking a ton (well over 1000) cookies to be given away at a women’s shelter in town, not just for christmas day, but throughout the season.

So far we’ve participated in adopting a child through our church; we’ve given old and new clothes to children at Elkhart Community schools through a clothing drive at my work; and we’ve been participating in food drives for food pantries at my kids’ school.
We’re still working on some more things to do.

Since my grandmother was a very caring & giving person, giving has been taught to me from a very early age. I feel that my children should also learn this important lesson. Every year at both my children’s schools each classroom “adopts” a family in local areas. The students purchase items from the family’s “Wish List”, bring to the holiday party at school where they make cards & wrap the gifts. Parents & children deliver the gifts & get lots of hugs & see tears of joy from the families. Seeing how little these families have and how greatful they are has really made a huge impact on my children as well as the students who also witness this! I have noticed charities are being very affected this yeat with receiving donations. In leiu of gifts, our family is donating to Children’s charities in our friends and famiies names. They love the idea, and everyone feels great for making a difference

Our church gets names of families in need from the local school district and then we can adopt a family for Christmas and follow up all year round.

We have just moved but in our home town we would go to the YMCA and serve dinner to the towns folk who did not have a place to go for a meal. It was a good teaching device for my 3 children and to make it clear how lucky they are to have what they do have.

I will be giving some of the free stuff I have scored with coupons to the food bank.

Instead of getting each other gifts this year, my husband and I are going to buy toys for the Toys for Tots organization which is sponsored by the Marines. We’re both looking forward to picking out gifts for kids!

-I am planning on taking some of my deceased daughter’s beanie babies back to St. Mary’s Children Hospital in West Palm Beach. Alot of these beanie babies were given to my daughter over the course of her treatment there from 1997-2004 where she received treatment for cystic fibrosis. She had two lung transplants that failed from a variety of errors and I lost her at the precious age of 21 on 6-7-07. Beanie babies would make her smile and collecting them over the years was exciting but with her passing away I know she would want me to share some of them with the children at St. Mary’s so they could enjoy them too. Something about a beanie baby just make’s the day better. My cfkitty lives on in all that she has touched and continues to touch with her online journal. I wanted to donate them last year but my grief was too fresh and I was not willing to give any of her up but I know donations are down and the few gifts the kids get in the hospital make being there just a little bearable.
Jewels
cfkitty’s mommy always

I bake and cook meals and christmas cookies for my older relatives who do not get out much and have difficulty cooking. I make the meals like little frozen entrees, and put the cookies in little tins and decorative baggies. The smile on their face when I give them the food is always worth the time in the kitchen!

We are “adopting” a family from the House of Ruth this year. These are women and children that are forced into hiding because of abuse in the home. There isn’t money to provide Christmas like children are used too, so it is up to people like us to provide a holiday memory.

I will be taking a name off of the tree at church and giving a gift that is suggested

I have planned to send a gift package to two families in my neighborhood who have had family members laid off.

Our Neighborhood gathers hygene items (toothbrushes, deodorant, etc) and donates them to the local food closet(they need these items to give aswell as food and they don’t get these donated as often)

This year we are sponsoring a senior citizen from the local nursing home. We will be bringing her gifts as well as taking a day to go and paint her and her girlfriends nails.

I volunteer at a dog shelter but instead of working only with this dogs I’m spending my weekends this month going to outreach events to let others know about our great animals and how they can help. I’m also donating food to our shelter’s food bank which helps homeless people within our area feed their pets.

WE are giving a target gift card to a single mom( her husband died last year ) so she can buy gifts for her 5 kids.

Being a foster parent we plan on having our foster kids make special cards for their parents, since they don’t get to spend christmas with them this year.

Hi, I already subscribe to The Mother Load

Every year my daughter and I sponsor a Senior Citizen. For the past 10 years we go to the same senior citizen center and choose I person off the wish list and make there wishes come true. The wish could be a stuffed animal or even a train set. We also donate money towards The Humane Society. Animals need love too.

Every year we organize a toy run with the local marines for Toys for Tots, everyone in the motorcycle community joins in and donates toys to needy kids. We have also adopted a family for christmas and buying them things that they need.

We are giving a Gift card to a single mom (her husband died last year) so she can buy gifts for her 5 kids.

Each one of my kids are picking out a toy they would like and give them to toys for tots. We also donatated food to our local homeless shelter.

I have been participating in a Christmas Day volunteer group for the past few years. The Jewish community in my city organizes over 2000 volunteers to do all kinds of helpful activities. I usually Christmas carol at different long term hospitals. My family skips the gift giving bonanza and spends the day connecting with people.

We donate food to the food bank. The food we donate is specific to the needs of a traditional family dinner : stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy, chicken broth, canned meats, etc…….

Each year my 12 year old son and a club he joined called Kids Helping Kids make sandwiches and take them to a homeless shelter in Baltimore. I also volunteer with them. We take the sandwiches and pass them out a couple days before the holidays.

I am co-room parent for my daughter’s fifth grade class. Normally that involved planning classroom parties for Halloween, Christmas and Valentine’s day. In light of the state of the economy right now, we decided to focus our parties this year on the spirit of giving. At our Halloween party we made blankets and collected donated items for our local pet shelter. We’re still brainstorming ideas for Christmas, but I think we may host a food drive for the food bank and make cards for a local nursing home.

We have a mitten Christmas tree here at work and I put two pair of gloves, one for a boy and girl, on the tree. We then take the mittens, hats, scarves to a local elementary school in a more underprivleged neighborhood. I also gave a toy to the Marine’s Toys for Tots. Always try to give to the children.

We have “adopted” a couple of young “men” whose mom has passed away and the father isn’t around. The older brother is doing his very best to take care of the younger brother. My youngest son has gotten the younger brother a job where my son works and my son drives him to work, 35 miles, back to town to his home after work, 35 miles, and then drives himself home, 22 miles, and my sweet son refuses to let him help with gas. I buy them food to take to work and send groceries when I can to their home. We are going to buy them a few Christmas presents and hopefully make their Christmas a little better.

We are donating food to our local food pantry, giving toys for Toys for Tots, and every time we shop and are going to give money to St. Jude’s (many major retailers are participating).

We are helping serve a meal at our church’s Agape Clinic (Offers free food and medical apointments once a month). Thanks for a great giveaway!

Our local movie theatre is doing “toys for tots”, and you can donate a toy in a bin there. My husband and I LOVE going to the movies, and are planning to go this weekend, so we’ll be stopping to get a gift before hand. We also had a can drive where I work, which was a HUGE success! Thanks for this wonderful giveaway! I actually want this for my husband…he LOVES Harry Potter! Thanks again!

After the hurricanes down here in Louisiana our family has been all seperated since trying to put our lives back in order. this holiday season my kids and i have been stocking up on free samples and coupons and putting tote bags together for everyone who is trying to get back in their houses and some still living out of suitcases. my kids have been a wonderful help and i would love to put this bookset for them under the tree.
megan from LA
habetzh@bellsouth.net

My 6 year old daughter and I are going through EVERTHING and we are bringing all of our donations to the women’s shelter along with new toys for children of battered women. My daughter understands that others are not as fortunate as her. We are also working at the local “soup kitchen” as a family.

We are giving to the Mitten Tree at school this year. Thanks.

We will be donating our daughters’ used toys and money to the Salvation Army.
flowerpower0097@live.com

My family buys new toys to donate to the Coastguard Toy drive in Southeast Alaska, which are given to kids in the remote villages.

My daughters school has a giving tree that has ages and requests for items such as pj’s and toys for needy children I will be donating with the help of my kids to teach them the importance of giving.

We are making gift baskets to take to the needy in our area. We are also collecting food and blankets at our church to donate to local shelters.

My family donates gifts to needy families in the area. We usually try to find someone with children.

tallblond1@gmail.com

Our 4-H club has started a santa store where club members families donate items for anyone in the family and we than sell to needy families, everything under a dollar. Plus we wrap for free. We also do a gift giving tree that goes over really well. I like to donate all gently used clothes my kids have out grown to Good Will.

Our Brownie troop is doing a food drive.

I have purchased of FEED 100 Bag worth $24.99 which feeds 100 nutritious meals for the kids in Rwanda Africa.

I’m using the free Rayovac coupons from Northern Cheapskate to buy batteries for calculators in a science classroom nearby!

EACH YR WE FILL SHOE BOXES FOR CHILDREN IN NEED… CHRISTMAS CHILD. WE LOVE TO GIVE TO THOSE HOW HAVE NEXT TO NOTHING BUT IN MOST CASES THEY HAVE NOTHING…. WE HAVE 2 CHILDREN AND WE ARE TEACHING THEM THAT CHRISTMAS IS ABOUT GIVING OF YOURSELF FOR SOMEONE ELSE.

We are providing gifts for a local retirement community. Our youth will deliver the gifts and sing Christmas carols to the residents.

This Christmas I plan to donate toys to children living in poverty. Also I plan to help clean up the neighborhood I live and decorate so that we can all get in the Christmas spirit.

my kids and I help our church put together christmas packages for the needy in our area. we also pick names and buy whatever the needy person put down as what he or she would like for christmas.

That’s easy! For the past 18 years I have been a volunteer for a local non profit organization gathering toys, school supplies and coats for needy families. I started as a family in need 18 years ago and now am coordinator contacting locals for items. It has been a great experience!

We are part of a motorcyle club which has adopted two families this year. We will be gathering gifts for the single moms and childern.

This year even though we have 5 boys we picked a name from the love tree and also did a shoebox for a needy child. I think this is very good for our boys.

I am going to bake cookies for the women at the local prison.

A lot of coupons expire at the end of the year. I am sorting thru them & planning on redeeming them with double or triple coupons at grocery stores, so there is little cost to me. Since I don’t need many of these products, I am saving them to donate to the local food bank. It takes a little effort but it does a world of good!

We randomly hand out cans of soup, blankets, pillows and sleeping bags to the Homeless on Christmas Eve.

With two kids and my husbands hours cut we can use anything extra for under the tree!

Sponsored two children from a local charity for Christmas.

I am donating toys and clothes to needy children. I am also donating a computer monitor to a headstart program near my home.

We regulary give our used clothing and toys to local charities, but this Christmas my son is finally old enough to shop with us and pick out some Toys for Tots gifts.

THIS WED. DEC. 10 AT OUR LOCAL PIZZA PLACE. ERECKA PIZZA IF YOU HAVE ONE. IF YOU TAKE IN A FOOD ITEM TO DONATE YOU GET A LG. PIZZA FOR 99 CENTS . I AM GOING TO TAKE TWO OR THREE CANS.IT IS FOR THE FOOD BANK. I ALSO GIVE EVERY MONTH ALL YR. LONG TO THE SALVATION ARMY . THEY ARE THE ONLY ONES I KNOW THAT GIVE MOST OF THE MONEY DONATED TO THE CHARITY INSTEAD OF THE PEOPLE WHO WORK THERE OR FOR ADVERTISEMENT. AND I NEVER PASS A BELL RINGER WITHOUT GIVING THEM ALL MY CHANGE.

I am helping out buy cleaning the clothing closet at our church to help those families in need.

I’m expecting any day and got a lot of baby clothing from my friends and family this year. Instead of returning things and using the store credit, I’m donating all of the outfits that we didn’t like or had duplicates of so some other mommy-to-be can be able to dress her little girl up as nicely as she’d like to. I’m also donating any of the baby gear that we got duplicates of, mostly smaller items, but they are things that new moms need.

Donating gifts to women and children who have been victims of domestic violence.

I am a youth director and the youth kids asked the church congregation for help in a stuff the bus program for women and children of domestic violence. We asked for items for these children and women who have had to flee their home with nothing but the clothes on their back. So these families can provide something for each other for christmas they can go shopping on a bus of donated items. After the requested time I took my two year old with me to deliver the donated items. She helped me unload packages for others. I plan on continuing to this program with her help in hopes of showing good tidings in years to come.

We’ll be bringing food shelf donations to holiday parties and giving away toys that are in good shape.

I am donating books to the Public Library in the name of my 3 grandsons who were killed in a car-train accident a few years ago.They were twins age 4 and their big brother, age 7.

My daughters school has a food pantry and I just sent 9 large paper bags full of food, paper product, soap and shampoo to them.

Each year my husband and I find a family in need within our community and buy gifts for them.

Each of my children forgo one present and instead use that money to buy a gift for a child who wouldn’t get anything.

We are going to donate a bunch of toys to our local shelter for those that would get more use out of them this holiday season. Thanks for the chance to win and it is great to read what others are doing this holiday season as it gives me more ideas to check into our local area.

1 Charitble thing we always do for Christmas is give away our daughters gently used toys. We always drop change in the Salvation Army buckets and we often pick up an angel to get a present for. I’m also thinking of going through my pantry and giving to the Mountain of Love food drive.

lil_wifey21 at yahoo dot com

I also grab an angel from the angel tree at the local mall. Since I have a new daughter this year, I plan on grabbing two, one for me and one for her. It’ll make a great tradition that she can enjoy as she gets older.

This year my girls went through all their toys and filled 4 boxes up that they wanted to donate. I found two moms who were in need of some help this year and divided the toys between them. We also bought an entire Thanksgiving dinner for another needy family in our area. We regularly donate to local food banks.

I am sending coupons for troops as well as care packages. There is one missionary family whose blog I follow, and I plan to send them a care package.

We recently started volunteering at a food pantry and we are now going to be delivering food to people who needed it, but don’t have transportation to get it.

We will be giving gifts in a sub for santa

I’m going to give a lady that cleans the building I work in $75. She always talks about her children and I hope this will help with their Christmas.

Every year I find families in need and try my best to fulfill as much of their needs as possible. Actually I do this all year. I believe in giving to others everyday.

I have 3 kids to shop for so when I find a good deal on something they want I buy extra to donate to Toys 4 Tots. My kids also like to donate their change to the Salvation Army buckets.

We will donate money to help those in need.

My family and I adopted another family and helped buy Christmas presents for the parents to give their daughters.

My sons high school band department sponsors “Operation Santa”. All the music students donate food, etc. and the seniors and band director deliver it to 12 local needy families for Christmas dinner. We are contributing a case of vegetables.

The whole family volunteers at Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve and cooks at the church for the homeless. It’s fun to do as a family though very tiring. Thanks for the give-away!

We donate groceries to the local pantry and adopt a family to provide gifts/necessities. Thanks!

We are going to be helping with our local Meals on Wheels

I am going to be a volunteer bell-ringer for the Salvation Army

Salvation Army angel tree!

We collect canned foods and mittens for our Church to give to the local free pantry.

this year we are donating can goods to my sons school and we are also going to donate our genly used toys.:) happy holidays to all!

We usually take a name picked from a local angel tree and get presents for that child. Our three grandchildren help pick out the items to be given away.

I helped prepare and serve thanksgiving dinner to international students and their families at my college campus. I have also invited many of my neighbors, who are living on very tight student budgets, to eat a meal and play games with us in our apartment. We are a poor student family, but we are richly blessed, and want to always be aware of and helping those who have less than we do.

I gave to the salvation army this year because my brother in law and his family actually stayed in one of their shelters for a few months this past summer. Without their help my brother’s family would have been homeless.

I will cook and serve the men’s recovery unit in oakland,ca. These men are recovering from drugs and alcohol and are in the program for a year with seeing no family and no friends. I have gone before and they are all like everyone else.they are good people who just need a little support!

I am staying at home with the family and giving toys to tots that don’t have anything for Christmas through my school. I think it is wonderful way to give back to the community. I also hope everyone has a great Christmas and happy holidays!!

This year we are mostly on the receiving part of the charity. How the tables have turned. I am so thankful that there are charites out there that give to the needy and less fortunate. Hopefully our time is short in this place, but it has given us a gratitude that you can only have thru experiance. My daughter has gone thru her clothes that don’t fit her any more and we gave them to a foster family charity thru my moms club group. We also gave our sons clothes he has grown out of to a friend. We are hoping to get some clothes in 18 month size because he is fastly groing out of his 12 month size. We have been so lucky and blessed this season and it was nice to be able to give something even when times have been rough.

One charitable thing I am doing this Christmas is giving Christmas boxes to kids around the world who don’t get anything for Christmas. I am giving them basic necessities that they don’t have like toothpaste, combs, and soap. I am doing this through my church and sending them to them. I am doing toys for tots through my school so local kids in my neighborhood have a nice Christmas.

My son and I send out christmas boxes every year via Samaritan’s Purse, an organization that delivers shoeboxes filled by us with small gifts to children in foriegn countries. It is called “Operation Christmas Child”. The very first year we sent out a box to a boy the same age as John, we received a newsletter that contained a photo of a african boy holding what we believe was our christmas box. The joy on John’s face matched the joy on that child’s face, so far away.It is now a tradition in our family to begin gathering toys and small items starting when school starts so our boxes will be ready for the next child. I believe even the smallest kindness can change the world, and a shoebox filled with dollar store goodies just may change the life of a child my son and I will never meet. Not to mention the change it has brought to my son, who has so much. He knows that a little compassion and care can go a long way and that it is the duty of all to care for those in need.

We’ll be doing the 12 Days of Christmas in honor of our precious baby Benjamin, who passed away just over a year ago.
Also, we hope to perform at a retirement home.

We are going to donate slightly used luggage, never used tote bags, and some used clothes for the foster children, because usually when the foster children move from one place to another all they have is 1 plastic garbage bag to hold all their belongings.

My kids like to drop change in the Salvation Army buckets. We give our gently used toys to charity. We give New toys to Toys for Tots, and we donate food to local church food drives. Thanks! my2sillyluvbugs@sbcglobal.net

The food pantry, through our church, has our support.

I am buying some diapers and wipes for a single mom struggling to make it through the holiday season!

Gave Christmas gifts to a 4-5 year old girl in need. Also shopped and delivered gifts for two families that consisted of a mom and two small children under 2 at a local assistance home. Also donating time to the local crisis pregnancy center to show Christ’s love to others that are in need!

We participate in Angel Tree and the local food drive.

My husband and I have asked the kids to give one of their unopened toys to Toys for Tots. We explained that we have so much and we need to share. They kind of understand

I’m setting a weekly budget of 25 to buy as many groceries as possible with coupons to give to my local food bank.

I am a mother from a family that is struggling very much this Christmas and would just like to say God Bless all of you for what you are doing to help others in need. The world needs more people like you of all.

I always donate to the local food pantry, but my favorit charitable giving is the local
Coat-A-Kid charity fundraiser. I collect coats all year from yard sales, family and friends and when the time comes for the charity drive, I take them all to the local dry cleaners who cleans and makes small repairs and replaces buttons, etc, then they are prepared for the kids who are in most needy. I love it!

My husband and I are donating to the Salvation Army Angel Tree instead of buying each other Christmas gifts.

I participate in our church’s “mitten tree” You pick a mitten and then buy a need family the appropriate sized mittens, scarves and hats. I am also a Salvation Army bell ringer for my Rotary and Lions Clubs. Thanks for the chance to win.

This may not seem like much, but I have gone through all of our things so I could sell them so we could have money for Christmas. (We are students living off loans) My husband and I decided to give everything to a family in our neighborhood who’s needs are greater than ours.

My best friend and I aren’t giving each other gifts this year. Instead, we are buying for an angel tree child.

I will give boxes of items that I was able to purchase at such a low cost to families who are not expecting to recieve them.

we are giving to a family that is in need of toys and things for their kids cause both parents got laid off

Of course, we always give to the Salvation Army and other local charities. We also donate food to the local food drive for the needy. And each year we make a special effort to give a lot of toys to the Toys for Tots program.

We donate food and toys for local families. Thanks and happy holidays to you!

I will be working at our local Christmas Bureau – I hope to help families “shop”.

I will be donating can goods and visiting with seniors who won’t be spending time with family members on Christmas

my church is doing the angel tree and one of my angels loves harry potter so my fingers are crossed!

We always donate to Toys for Tots, also give food, coats, hats, gloves, whatever is needed locally.

I have been doing some house cleaning. I have brought over ten garbage of stuff to St. Vincents.

We are not buying gifts, at all. We are gathering for an old fashioned family dinner. Each person is either donating food to the community kitchen or a coat for kids. What ever they would have spent on a gift is to be the amount spent on food or coats. This is also being done in memory of my son that was killed Dec. 8th, last year.

I “adopted” two children who’s families cant afford to give them Christmas gifts.

My husband knows someone in need. He went to the food pantry right before Thanksgiving and they could only give him 3 boxes of cereal. So we went through our pantry and gave him anything extra that we could give him. Than we bought him a ton of stuff when we went shopping for the week. I even bake him cookies so he can get a special treat.

This year my co-workers and I decided that instead of giving each other gifts or have a secret Santa, each of us will be donating a toy to one of my co-workers church. It is most important and worthwhile to give a child gifts for the holiday season.

Every year we help distribute gifts to needy families. The gifts are from contributions from our church parish’s Angel Tree. Not only do the children enjoy their gifts, but so do the older people who receive gifts. But the biggest gift is to thoes of us who distribute the gifts. The feeling you get from the “Thank-you” is the biggest gift of all.

Every year I donate toys to Toys for Tots.

I am a jewelry broker and I donated jewelry to a women’s domestic violence shelter so the kids have Christmas gifts to give to their mothers. I am trying to collect some perfume to take over next!

Cooking for my in-laws.

We are donating 4 big bags full of toys to Children’s Medical Society for their holiday party. These kids have a variety of medical conditions and family circumstances, so this party is a main part of the holiday spirit for them.

We sent some Christmas gifts overseas to some missionaries from our church.

I am giving to Toys for Tots as well as donating to Goodwill. I am also making a contribution to an orphanage for boys. I usually volunteer during the holiday season, but unfortunately since I am going through chemo for breast cancer I get tired very easily. After the first of the year I will be walking in the Susan G. Koman Race for the Cure.

Thank you for the giveaway.
Andrea

My class made shoe boxes with homemade wrapping paper and filled them with new gifts to donate to the children’s hospital.

Through my church, I am donating money toward the hungry, as well as donating food.

I purchased a few warm winter outfits and a coat for a boy in my preschool class who’s family could not afford them.

Donated coats that my kids have outgrown to Coats for Kids… my daughter will go through toys and we will donate some of them.

We are giving out 25 dollar gift cards to King Soopers to friends who are struggling right now.

I am giving toys to local toy drives!

My good friend is having a rough time right now. They just moved from a nice warm state to a snowy, cold state. Her son has not been allowed to play outside at school because he doesn’t have any snow boots. So our family sent him some. We wanted to do it annonymously, but couldn’t because we needed to know his size. But it really made my family feel good to provide for a friend of ours.

I work at a non-profit placement that houses troubled boys 8 thru 18.Not all of the boys can go home for the holidays.We make sure the boys have gifts and stockings for christmas.

I plan to sponsor a child for Christmas

We participate in the Angel tree for our community. My children have fun picking out gifts for other children. It also teaches them to appreciate what they have and to help others.

Myself and each of my 4 children will be making gift boxes of toys and personal items to send to the needy through Operation Christmas Child. We missed the local collection deadline, so I will be paying to have the boxes sent directly.

Hello everyone, Happy Holidays!!! What I plan to do for the holiday’s, well,spend quality time with family mostly. I am hoping to find the perfect little tree for some small gifts this year.

We are participating in Advent Conspiracy with our church this year. It is an awesome and moving thing. Check it out (the video on their site helps explain)! Thanks also for this chance- my husband and I love Harry Potter and are reading through the series together. Thanks!

A co-worker of mine is headed for Iraq soon.
we have a decorated door contest at our workplace-Instead of a door we each made decorated hands out of felt and ?? and all brought in items to send to him for when he gets there.The hands represent each of us and connect like garland!
also helping our community food drive and gifts for xmas!

Our church sponsors a children’s home year round.
At Christmas time, there is a tree set up in our Narthex with whether the child is a male or female, their age and a gift they would like. You may take as many stars (children to give a gift
to) as you want. Our family enjoys buying gifts for some of the children that live there. Thanks, Cindi

My daughter’s girl scout troop has adopted 3 families. We will be buying gifts for the kids and delivering them along with making each family a Christmas Wreath.

We decorated and donated a christmas tree to three of the local nursing home centers we have here. We announced to our community to go by the different nursing homes and pick which tree was their favorite of the three by placing a non perishable food item or gift under it. The items are to be dived among the three nursing homes and an orphanage across the river in mexico.

Money is tight right now but we just cleaned out our closets and donated several bags of new and gently used clothes to charity. I also did my big overhaul of our stockpile and found several bags of tolietries and food to donate. I am going to wait for Jan to do another big donation since so few people donate after the holiday season.

My husband is a member of an organization that supports charities including a local children’s hospital. We donated toys to this hospital for these most deserving patients.

PICK A CHILDS NAME OFF A CHRISTMAS TREE AT CHURCH AND BY PRESENTS FOR THAT CHILD.

At every salvation army bucket we donate. My daughters MDO gets all her old toys less a few favorites to make room for new ones. Also food pantry & downtown rescue mission.

One of the charitable this christmas is sent out invites for Chrismtas dinner to strangers in town that have no children or family around, their ages vary from mid forties to late 80’s , they have no family or anyone to celebrate with over the holidays. I always make way 2 much food especially when I try not 2. I don’t like to hear of people havng to be by themselves on the holidays– I always say the more the merrier (and less left overs for the next week :0). So I am hoping that the guests invited can overlook the being a stranger and come and enjoy some good food and company – my hopes are that this would turn into an annual thing. that to me would be the best gift that anyone could give me.

The girls and I pick an angel off the Christmas tree at church. We then go shopping for the little angel who belongs to Headstart. It includes a new piece of clothing and a toy that they wish for.

I participated in the Catholic Charities Angel Tree program and I have my 3yr old daughter put a donation in every salvation army kettle we pass during the holiday season.

i will be donating a turkey,ham and several other food items to our local salvation army. i do this for thanksgiving and christmas every year.also, i will be donating food and toiletries to our local homeless shelter. my husband travels alot and we save up all of the free ammenities that we get in our hotel rooms and then we give them to the homeless shelter! what a great way to be able to give back and it doesnt cost me a dime since my husband’s company pays for his hotel rooms! every penny saved is another dollar i can give to someone who needs it more then i do.

We make gifts for a local senior group for its members to give to their family and friends.

We donate extra canned food to the local food pantry. We are also making toys that will go to a children’s hospital.

we donate to st. jude hosp. they do a great thing.

We are buying presents for a needy mother we found through church and purchased toys for needy children.

We are donating a lot of food to the food pantry. The local newspaper had an article a few weeks ago explaining how they were struggling something terrible so I want to do what I can to help out.

Our family participates in the shoebox drive at our church every year. We fill a shoeboxes with little toys and do dads. The shoeboxes are sent to orphanages.

My mom, sister and I all bake cookies and make candy to give away to older shut in people

I teach at a school where many families are struggling. This year I bought every child in my class a new book. For a few kids this will be a huge treat because they really do not have books at home.

I have donated a lot of my kids barely used toys and clothes to our local battered women’s shelter. I also have “adopted” a Marine serving in Iraq and just mailed him a HUGE care package, with many more to come. Thank you!!

I just saw the new book on The View 12/11 I believe. I will also be donating this extremely lovely gift from Ms. Rowling. We have many students at our school from broken families, etc. Thank for making us a part of this wonderful website!

What I am doing this Christmas season is saving soda tabs for my friend’s son…he’s got stomach cancer, and they use the tabs for their stay at the Ronald McDonald House. It also helps towards his medical bills. I am also taking care of their Christmas meal on Christmas and buying them gifts. I’ve done this the last two or so years, ever since they found out he had stomach cancer. I ask everyone to pray for this family.

We are buying toys and food for a needy family in our area. I am also going to go to the local nursing home and visit a man with no family.

We’ve donated some gently used clothes to the local Salvation Army. We’re also donating shoes to a non-profit called Soles for Souls.

My son and I are giving to the community by volunteering for the Operation Military Kid. We are planning to teach music to children whose parents as serving our country. Opertaion Military Kid program begins Saturday-December 6 at the Independence Armory. We are coordinating efforts with several 4-H clubs in nearby counties. Our event begins with homemade Christmas cards to the children’s parents, my favorite part the handbells and bongo sticks that I will teach, with my son assisting. We will teach several holiday tunes. We are planning to volunteer for 200 children. Besides music, we’ll be teaching fun games to the children. This is fantastic!

My son and I are giving to the community by volunteering for the Operation Military Kid Project. We are planning to teach music to children, whose military parents are serving our country. Operation Military Kid program begins Saturday-December 6 at the Independence Armory. We are coordinating efforts with several 4-H clubs in nearby counties. Our event begins with homemade Christmas cards to the children’s parents, my favorite part the hand bells and bongo sticks that I will teach, with my son assisting. We will teach several holiday tunes. We are planning to volunteer for 200 children. Besides music, we’ll be teaching fun games to the children. This is fantastic!

Well, I hadn’t planned on sharing this but I think it is one of the best ideas. I recently had a client come into the office who was laid off a week before Thanksgiving and is having a rough time getting through the holidays. We have decided to adopt this family for Christmas. We have also decided that we are going to make this a holiday tradition to leave anonymous gifts to one or several families who are struggling and make their Christmas unforgetable.

Goza Giving Tree and several programs through our middle school and elem school communities…

When my oldest daughter was two years old, she had to spend a week in the hospital with a viral infection and very high fever. Unfortunately, that week was Christmas week. When we woke up on Christmas morning, her bedside table (and the bedside tables of all the children in the pediatric ward) was full of toys and goodies that had been donated to the hospital. That touched my heart in a very special way. Every Christmas since then, I have donated new toys and blankets – as many as I can afford – through drives held by our local hospitals, churches, and schools. I am on a tight budget, but whenever I see a good sale, I stock up so that I can donate a lot of things rather than just one or two. I also stock up on sale-priced canned goods and nonperishables for the local food drives.

I am planning to baby sit the day for one of my family members instead of buying gifts!

I volunteer for an organization that does court monitoring. A lot of people go out of town during the holiday season, so I like to pick up a lot of extra shifts during this time of year to make the jobs of the staff a lot easier.

Every time I go to Barnes and Noble to buy myself a book (all too frequently) I buy a book to put in the children’s book drive!! Those Beedle the Bard books would be great to put in there, too!

We give gifts from a wish tree at church.

We support an 8 year old boy and his family in Beleze so that he may go to school.

We give cans of food for the needy to our church and The Daily Bread that feeds the homeless.
We donated at our school for a foreign country to dig a well for the community or buy backpacks for the children.
We donated at our church for a lady in our community ,raising 4 grandchildren,whose well has gone dry–to have another well drilled.
We donated at our church for a teen at our high school who has leukemia and is in St,Jude.

We are cleaning out all the never worn baby clothes and toys and sending them with a friend to orphans in Africa.

We have been donating new toys and food to local charities.

We do several “charitable” things for the holidays. It is a family tradition to give kids PJ ’s and toiletries to the battered women’s shelter in our area and this year I started crocheting hats and matching scarfs to give to them too. It is nice to see our kids trying to come up with creative ways to spred the holiday cheer!

Every year my family makes fruit baskets and takes it to the widows of Mason that has past away. They are so lonely and they look forward to that day every year. It’s not the fruit basket that they are looking forward it’s the company that they look forward too.

We post extra items and outgrown items on Freecycle.org. It is a great community where you can help others.
I would love love love these books. Ho ho ho crossing my fingers and hoping they will come down my chimney
Happy holidays
jadesteva@yahoo.com

My husband and I helped our sunday school classes participate Operation Christmas Child. We made Shoe Boxes full of gifts for children all over the world. The children then told about what the project meant to them during youth sunday services.

Every year I give kids of need a gift of love, no matter what my situation is and this year I am unemployed, I am giving a small donation to the catholic charity in Chicago, to let all kids know that Christmas is from the heart and a time for giving no matter how small.

We are giving coats to the Wal-mart coat drive and toys to their toy drive for the less fortunate this Christmas.

This year I have gotten together a group of people and we are donating toys and enough money for a christmas party for the school my son attends. It is the Head Start program for low income families, this may be some of the only presents these kids get! I love Christmas time!

Instead of buying presents this year, we have addopted families. Instead of a big dinner this year, we are helping out at a homeless shelter!

Instead of Secret Santa this year at work we are all buying gifts for the kis at the local Children’s Home.

This year we helped putting together boxes for Operation Christmas Child, giving to kids in need.

We’ve donated to Goodwill & Salvation Army already and now we’re gathering non-parishable goods from our pantry, the kids’ unplayed toys, loose change, outgrown & no longer wearing clothes and donating them to various charities and churches.

I plan to volunteer and participate in what is call the “Feast of Sharing” which is a program brings together hundreds of community volunteers and corporate partners each year to serve a nutritious holiday meal, with a generous helping of entertainment and friendship to thousands of individuals

My children both picked names off the angel tree this year. They are so happy to be able to give to others in need. We have also donated to a local food can drive. We are in the process of going through our closets to give winter clothes to the salvation army. We only wish we could do more.

I have been donating food to our local food pantry. They are in desperate need of food donations this year.

We are planning on particpating in the sub for santa program at our local grocery store.

I am an RN staying home with twin 3 yr.olds, so I am donating my time at the local library reading 20 min on saterdays and at our local schools pre-k doing head lice checks and helping at our local animal shelter with feeding and walking duties.

This year, my son’s high school is having a Seven Mile Walk-A-Thon, but instead of raising money for the school,they are raising money for families in need.

Two of our grandchildren have autism, so when we go to our bank, we give money all year long to The Autism Society!

I aways support the Toys for Tots, i think this a great effort.

Instead of giving gifts to eachother, our family had decided to sponser a refugee family instead.

My family and I make gift packages for our neighbors in need. We leave them on the door steps and run.

We’ve been donatig meals for the holidays at my sons school. Also unwrapped clothes/toys for kids. We also donated for foster kids.

My family and I have done several charity events so far and my sons favorite, who is 4, is the Operation Brightside Christmas that we do with the police dept my husband is on and we go shopping for a boy or a girl at walmart and spend $100.00 that the FOp has raisedd for lots of families in the community and then the police dept has a big christmas party for the kids and their families and they open gifts have pizza and homemade goodies and see santa, it is wonderful to see my son so happy and enjoying seeing other children happy it is really a heartfelt time and the whole community really enjoys the police dept doing this every year! Jennifer
jenjer@insightbb.com

What magic these books bring to us all, young or old. Everyone loves to dream. What a great gift to give a child who is in need and to give a little happiness

We have already started our giving this year. We were asked by my sister to see if we could find any of my daughters clothes that she had out grown so that she could take them to the school she teaches at. This school does not have a lot, and the families need a lot of help. This touched me, and we went down to the basement and found 3 large totes worth of clothes with winter coats and clothes. It feels good to know they will be put to good use.

Our family is helping out 2 different Salvation Army families thru Cub Scouts and Preschool. We also will prepare and serve some of the homeless in our area thru Boy Scouts. What a wonderful way to teach children from ages 4-17 that giving to those that need not want really makes a difference in peoples lives.

I am going through my house and my mother’s looking for household goods and unused products for the victims of the Sayre fire in Sylmar, California.

My store has put several of the toys on clearence 50% off so i’m going to buy a few and pick a few names off the angel tree. I know what it’s like to not have the money to get your kid christmas so I want to help those who can’t.

Going to be looking through and seeing if I have clothes that I can bring to our St. Vincent De Paul(is like a goodwill, similar) in my town. And anything else I dont need and donate to them. Also see if I have old stuff animals to give away to them.

For the last couple of years, we have been buying gifts for the elderly who may not have family to spend the holidays with

I am donating all of my unused winter coats. I have two closets full of coats and have decided that there are a lot of people who could use them right now.

I never pass a donation bucket without giving money.

I also like to buy atleast one toy each year to give to the marines.

We are donating clothes and christmas decorations to local families who are in need.

Every year the local school holds a food drive and I I always donate. This year I have already donated 2 big bags of food and personal care items and plan on giving more. I am also going to donate toys to the Toys for Tots drive here.

My son and I bake cookies to give to local shut-ins and the food bank workers. We also donate toys and treats to the local food pantry christmas room.

Our family has a tradition that each of our two children take twenty dollars of their own money and buy a special toy of their own choosing and donate it to our local family to family angel tree.

I have a large box that I have been filling with new toys and books that we are going to give to a local organization that provides emergency childcare (and other resources) to families.

I have adopted a little girl from a needy family that my company adopted at work. I bought her 2 toys and also filled a stocking for her

I have been considering this for a while now.. realizing how much extra “things” we have. My husband has so many like new winter coats.. and we don’t need all of them. I also plan on doing a lot of baking for some people we know that could use some encouragement.

Tara
cloudspassby78 (at) yahoo (dot) com

We are getting friends and family to donate a book and pj’s for children in a local women’s shelter to give out during the holidays.

We have already donated to toys for tots at my daugter’s day care and will be participating in my office’s angel tree.

Happy holidays!

I have bought blankets and turtle necks for the local shelter. There are many families in need due to the economy.

I have donated a new toy to Toys for Tots.

My children and I are baking cookies, brownies & bakalava and delivering them to nursing homes and shut-ins through churches and while we are there the children sing Holiday Songs to bring Holiday Spirit.

One of my daughters has sent a caring box to a child in Africa. My oldest daughter’s church group is donating money and going shopping for a needy family in our neighborhood and my youngest daughter plans to also send a caring box.

My family recently donated blankets to a blanket/coat drive. We also gathered up gently worn clothes to give to a family that
was in need.

We give to the American Cancer Society every year and to Saint Judes Childrens Hospital. I loss my Father to Colon Cancer and I am a breast Cancer Survivor.

We are giving away most of my 5 kids toys and clothes they have outgrown to needy families along with each child picking an Angel from the local Angel Tree.

Making donations to a special fund that is dear to our hearts.

I donate to the local book drive in my city. The books go to the kids in need.

This holiday season I am going to take the enormous amounts of toys, school supplies, clothing, and food to an orphanage I have been volunteering at for over six years now.

On Christmas day my family will be delivering meals for a local shelter, just as we did on Thanksgiving day. My family also will be drawing names from the Salvation Army Christmas tree, which provides clothing and toys to local children in need.

My friends and I all participate in a “Baby Swap”- we all share and exchange baby gear as our children grown in and out of them My friends who are newlyweds got pregnant a little sooner than expected, so as my 10 month-old outgrows her clothing and gear, we are passing it on to the new little girl on the way! And since I was pregnant this time last year, I gave the new Mommy all of my maternity clothes, which she said has saved her tons of money!

Wow, don’t think I can narrow it down to just one! We spent November building a big donation for one of the locals missions; I did an office pool for Toys for Tots, and waited in line on Black Friday to make sure I made the most of the collected money; and we are also adopting two families from a local homeless shelter to make sure that they have a memorable Christmas!

We make donations to the Soup Kitchen on a regular basis but not just at holiday time. We do it year round.

I stop and Thank God then give to every Salvaltion Army bell ringer I come across.

I plan to buy my sister a mass amount of baby clothes . She is due to give birth to my new baby nephew soon.

I have been buying dog/cat food and treats on double coupon day and taking them to the local Humane Society. I have also bought over the counter medications and delivered them to Free Clinic.

I am doing several charitable things this season. One, donating all of my extra beauty products from my CVS trips to a local woman’s shelter. I am also participating in the One Dollar Give.

At the local wal mart there is a tree with children’s names and what they would like. We always since I was a little girl have picked a child, one for each of us and we give them a gift. That’s what I like to do each x-mas.

It’s hard to just list one, because I’ve done several great things already!

I’m Treasurer for the Nash Community College Early Childhood Education Club, and we’ve sponsored two filled stockings for a less fortunate toddler girl as well as a pre-teen boy. Plus, we spent over $125 on two teenagers wish lists for the shelter and children’s home Angel Tree.

I have a nephew that would love to get this as a gift! Thank you for the offer!

I have participated in cookie drives at work (military) and church, our squadrons have two hamper families this year, and our family donates toys to Toys for Tots and a local orphanage.

Thank you, my family LOVES Harry Potter!

We are helping out with an adopt a family program and giving to those in need to make their holidays special

We are giving donations to Heifer International in lieu of gifts to a few people.

We always do Toys For Tots and this tear we’re also donating to the food bank

We went to a Christmas party where each person had to donate canned goods as their entrance fee. We also plan to volunteer at our church’s Christmas Toy donation store, where needy families can come pick out free gifts for their kids.

We always buy an extra toy to donate to the toy drives in our area. They are really struggling this year and I wish everyone would do this. We also clean out our sons closet and donate all of the toys he doesn’t want to our local Women’s Shelter.

This year I’ve been working with our church youth to plan a winter weather clothing drive…. Last Sunday we spent the day in front of walmart collecting donations of clothing and money (to purchase more clothing)…. It was great and the kids are really seeing how they can make a difference…. Our church does a service project once a month, instead of the usual sermon, we work on the project all together….

Every year we fill a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child Charity. We also sponsor an angel off the Angel Tree.

Our family has donated almost monthly to Goodwill this year. We have also given donations to St. Jude’s Hospital, Salvation Army and to a local family so that they can have a better holiday season. We also donated two pieces of almost new gym equipment to a local church who was wanting to have a gym for their young people to use. I am also an avid member of freecycle and have given many items to fellow members. Our motto is always that it is more blessed to give than to receive.

I make pumpkin roll and cookies every year and we always take them to our favorite car/tire repair store and leave for the employees, cause we always get great service all year long!

My church operates a food pantry on Saturdays, and I am working hard to find ways to provide cosmetics for women in need. While it may seem unnecessary when you can’t put food on the table, a lot of these women have job interviews and cannot put their best foot forward. The self confidence boost a little mascara may give them might just help them land a job and get their family back on track.

We are putting together Hygiene kits for our Church’s Humanitarian Effort. Thankfully I’ve been able to collect a ton of toothbrushes and toothpaste by couponing and watching sales.

I am helping give toys to my son’s s preschool for kids of hurrican Ike.

I would love a chance to win. Thanks!

We volunteer our time as well as resources to the children of E. TN who need.

We are donating food items to local food drives in our community.

I had posted some things on craigslist to sell and was contacted by someone who was trying to buy cheap household things to donate to a family from Burma. It was a family of 4 who were sharing a blanket between them, had no dishes, and were sharing 1 cup between them. I decided to donate all the things I was selling to them instead of taking money for them.

i have saved toiletries, etc. using all the coupons this year and giving them to food banks

Each of my 4 children finds 12 toys/books to donate in honor of the 12 days of Christmas. They have to be in good to great condition. They also give to the Episcopal Relief & Development fund in honor of their teachers and we bake cookies in the shape of whatever animal they’ve donated their money towards to give to said teachers…

My family and I have agreed to sponsor two children through the Angel Tree Program. I’m excited and grateful that we can do this!!

I am contributing to the food drive at my employer.

We donated some old clothes, coats and toys to a local charity for the homeless just last week. Spring cleaning in the winter and helping others all at once! Thank you for this wonderful giveaway!
Lesley

I know how hard it can be to go through the holidays without money so I always donate any old coats to keep my city warm.

Volunteering at the headquarters to hand out items for Angel Tree.

We are heavily involved in scouting which supports our local food drives. We help collect food for local food pantries. As a family we also support Angel Tree and buy toys and baby items for those in need at Christmas.

My family will again contribute $25 to a microloan fund at http://www.kiva.org
We are helping a mother of four in Eva, Somoa. Our donation will help buy supplies for the General Store she operates.

Dale Carter
http://daleblogg.blogspot.com/ (“Transition Aging Parents”

OKay, I don’t think I’ve entered this…so one charitable thing I am doing this holiday season is auctioning off autographed and marked up books with all the money going to First Book. My friend and I have raised $366.50 already for them!

-Lauren
lauren51990 AT aol DOT com

I LOVE doing the Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. It is one of the highlights of the year for me, even though we have to drop them off in October. I fill the boxes with classic toys I’ve found in the dollar section at Target throughout the year, and toothpaste, toothbrushes, and soap that I get free from CVS, as well as a few other goodies. It doesn’t cost a whole lot if you do it this way, and the number of boxes I do each year keeps growing because it’s so much fun! Someday I hope to volunteer at the distribution center too.

I plan on volunteering at a soup kitchen to help feel the homeless for the holiday.

We plan on donating clothes and toys that we no longer use to the Goodwill and Salvation Army, along with participating in local food drives.

My children and I are volunteering at a nursing home and taking the residents baked goods.My youngest son is also donating clothes he has worn very little to his school’s coat closet.

Well like everytime during the holidays and all year long, my family and I are going to be helping out at a local soup kitchen. My children espcially love to help people in need. It makes them feel important.

We give to a local charity in our town. We also give to Toys for Tots.

We’re collecting warm jackets and coats for kids in Denver through our mom’s group. We’re doing really well so far, but the need is HUGE!

We like to give gift cards to kiva.org so that our friends/family can choose for themselves who they want to donate to.

Our church has made a tree with numbered ornaments. We can take an ornament and its number corresponds to a family in need and then you commit to doing service for them. We are going to pick up an ornament next week.

my family and i have been making baskets for people in our area who still are not in their homes after hurricane Ike. we have been collecting samples, coupons and little snacks and putting them into baskets with a holiday handmade card. we know what it is like to not be in your home during the holidays since we were displaced after Rita. anything anyone does is great.

taking pictures for free at a local event as well as giving extra items to those in need locally.

Would love to win this book set!

We always give baby gifts to the church.

We donated alot of our clothing (mostly new) to the salvation army. There have been alot of fires in our area of upstate ny. These families can use any help they can get. Please people donate to the red cross/salvation army in your area.

We have donated food to the local food bank and my daughter has also helped hand out groceries to needy families at a local church with her girl scout troop.

I am having my son help pick an angel off of the angel tree. He has also gone through his closet and we are donately gently used items to those in need.

I made some extra money this season and decided to donate most of it to those who need it more than I do.

We buy books every Christmas for each other, and each year we also buy a children’s book to donate to the local battered women’s and childrens shelter. So if we bought 4 books as gifts, we also buy 4 books to donate. It’s a tradition that I am anxious to instill in my son as he grows up because giving really is what the holidays are all about.

My local Curves collects items for a woman’s shelter. Although I can’t afford to buy much, I am making homemade book marks and other little crafty things for them.

My organization collected cans for the homeless and are currently collecting donations for a womens shelter in need of some coats and other items

I organized, designed, advertised and sponsored a benefit photo contest for a local woman and her family who lost their home due to a fire.

My husband went to the grocery store and bought $100+ in canned goods, which were immediately donated to the food bank (I stayed home with the kiddos).

My son and i have donated our time several times at the local mission serving hot meals to the homeless. we have done this several times throughout the year and plan to continue this throughout the christmas season and the rest of the year to come!

We have started paying it forward (just this year) by donating canned foods, toothbrushes, make-up, body lotion, soap, body wash, toothpaste, mouthwash, brownie mixes, canned milk, chocolate chips, etc. to Christmas Providers. My kids and I have had a blast doing this together.

I am going to my local cancer center and giving away wrapped gifts to all of the people who are in the infusion room getting chemo. I was getting treatments myself during the Christmas season in 2005 and loved when people dropped off little gifts for us – knitted and crocheted hats, lip balm, etc. It made me feel so loved to realize that so many people were thinking of us. Just thinking about it now makes me cry.

we are giving toys to the local county charity (through our church).

I live in Michigan and we have been hit hard in the job market. I was laid off after 14 years at the same company. I decided that since I have more time now I want to volunteer at our local hospital. I’m sure they have had to cut back on staff like everyone else and could use the help. The holidays made me think about helping out but I will probably continue to volunteer. It makes me feel better about my problems to help other people. I’m just waiting to pass my background check.

We are making gift packs for the prisoners at our local prison. These gifts are often the only gifts they receive all year.

We adopt a family for Chritmas at work. We buy them gifts, food and thing for the house.