There are many kids around the world that do not have the magical feeling of waking up on Christmas morning with presents. Many kids and adults cannot afford to buy presents, food, or decorations to celebrate the holidays.

According to the National Philanthropy Trust Foundation, Americans gave $449.64 billion in 2019 to charities. There are many great programs, foundations, and non-profit organizations to help many families celebrate their holidays. Let us help give kids a memorable holiday and bring them light and joy.

Here are some organizations and foundations that help kids worldwide from their fellow owls. The first organization is The Salvation Army. To help the community and all people in need, the Salvation Army offers a Walmart angel tree. According to Angel Tree is a national Salvation Army program that has put new clothes and toys, as well as basic needs like diapers and shoes, under the tree for more than 1 million children across the U.S. each holiday season. The Salvation Army also offers a concert, Rock the Kettle. According to the Salvation Army, the Rock the Red Kettle concert is a chance for fans to learn about all the good this organization does, like providing nearly 60 million meals and 10 million nights of shelter each year. At this concert, the fans see the campaign come to life through their favorite artists. Donating to the Salvation Army is a great way to help society and those in need.

The Family Giving Tree is a devoted organization that helps fulfill kids’ wishes during the holiday time. There are two different ways to help out. You can donate a gift card. With the money you donate, a member of The Family Giving tree will use it to get a kid a nice gift for the holidays. You can also look at their website and see the wishes of kids of all ages. You find a child or children that you want to shop for and add their gift to the cart on the Family Giving tree website. You can help and select how much you want to spend and how many people you want to help with The Family Giving Tree.

Toys for Tots is a national charity started by the United States Marines., they collect unwrapped, new toys throughout October, November, and December. You can find local toy drives for Toy for Tots on their website. If there is not a location near you, you can also donate online. You can select an amount and choose if you want to donate monthly. Toy for Tots helps kids throughout the nation.

Another charity recommended by a fellow owl is Operation Christmas Child. You can make a shoebox- both online and at your house- that gets sent to a  child. Although the shoebox must include toys and essentials, you can add other things to the shoe box as well. The shoeboxes get delivered to children who have never had presents for Christmas. For every shoebox that you make, a nine dollar donation is necessary. The contribution is utilized for shipping and allows the shoebox to be delivered on time for Christmas. Operation Christmas Child enables you to help children from the comfort of your home!

Penny Pals is a non-profit charity that is devoted to helping kids with terminal diseases. You can donate to Penny Pals through Amazon Smiles. Amazon Smiles take .5% of the money you spent shopping on Amazon. That money then goes to the charity of your choice. Penny Pals also is making stockings for terminally ill children staying at Dell’s Children. You can make the whole stocking or donate select items that Penny Pals needs. For more information, you can reach Penny Pals on their Instagram(@pennyspalsinc).

There are many people in our communities that want to make a magical celebration for their kids but cannot afford it. There are many ways to help make those wishes come true, and you can be part of it too. Happy Holidays! Special thanks to Eylee Pennings, McKinnley Rupp, Ezra Rajagopal, Kathryn Russel, and Susannah Ottstot for providing me with great charities and helping out with this article.

Sources: 

“Charitable Giving Statistics.” NPTrust, 22 July 2020, www.nptrust.org/philanthropic-resources/charitable-giving-statistics/.

“Red Kettle 2020: Rescue Christmas: The Salvation Army USA.” Red Kettle 2020: Rescue Christmas | The Salvation Army USA, www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/brighten-the-holidays/.

“The Holiday Wish Drive.” Holiday Wish Drive – Family Giving Tree, familygivingtree.org/holiday-wish-drive.

“Grant a Wish. Give a Smile.” Family Giving Tree, vtree.fgt.org/fgt/.

“Austin TX.” Marine Toys for Tots, austin-tx.toysfortots.org/local-coordinator-sites/lco-sites/default.aspx?nPageID=100.

“Build a Shoebox Online!” Samaritan’s Purse, www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/buildonline/.