Final Thoughtful December Post!

Today is our last Thoughtful December post.

This post is actually something you can do after Christmas.  Every year after Christmas, my family goes through all of our clothing, books, etc. and we pick out things that we no longer use.  We bag them up and donate them.

Get you children involved and have them go through their toys and donate ones they no longer use.  With all the new stuff they just received, they won't even miss these old things.  Plus it is a great way to teach them to give back.

Then you can schedule a pick up from your favorite charity or drop the bags of items off at your local Goodwill or Salvation Army.

This is a donation that doesn't cost you anything!  My husband and I do it every year and it is a great way to get rid of unwanted items and start the New Year fresh.

Sending Packages to Our Soldiers

There are many soldiers who won't be able to come home this holiday season.  Sending a care package is a great way to show you support them.

Here is a list of organizations that will match you with a soldier or distribute your care package:

• Any Soldier
• Soldiers' Angels
• Operation Gratitude
• USO

As with all of our charity lists, I am barely scrapping the surface of what's out there.  These posts would be pages long if I listed everyone.

If you know of a great organization or group in need, please let us know, so we can add it to our lists.

Happy Holidays!

Donate Your Soap and Shampoo

Can you believe December is almost half over and we are on our fourth day of Thoughtful December?

Today's charity doesn't really have to do with the holidays.  Providing toiletries is a year round job and there are many people who don't have basic items like soap and toothpaste.

To give you an idea of needed items, here is a list of commonly needed items, that I found online:

• soap
• toothpaste
• toothbrushes
• deodorant
• razors
• mouthwash
• Q-tips
• hand sanitizer

These items can be donated to food pantries, shelters, etc.  

Also, Clean the World accepts unopened and unused bars of soap and shampoo for distribution domestically and internationally to those in danger of hygiene-related illnesses. The Global Soap Project also collects and reprocesses soaps into new bars.

These are great ways to clean out all the hotel soap bars and shampoos you have been collecting for years!

Toy Drives

On the third day of our Thoughtful December, I wanted to give you a list of toy donation locations and organizations.  I know Christmas isn't all about gifts but children deserve to have something to open on Christmas Day.  It is something small that means so much!

Here are some well known Toy Donations:

• Toys for Tots
• Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
• Second Chance Toys
• Toys of Hope

These are just some of the options out there.  When possible, you should try to donate locally.  There are many churches, shelters, etc., right in your town that are looking for donations for children.  

Feeding America

Today is the second day of Thoughtful December and we are focusing on our local food banks.  

Did you know?

"In many ways, America is the land of plenty. But for 1 in 6 people in the United States, hunger is a reality. Many people believe that the problems associated with hunger are confined to small pockets of society, certain areas of the country, or certain neighborhoods, but the reality is much different.

Right now, millions of Americans are struggling with hunger.  These are often hard-working adults, children and seniors who simply cannot make ends meet and are forced to go without food for several meals, or even days.

It’s time to educate ourselves about the causes of hunger in America."

Feeding America is the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity.  Their mission is to feed America's hungry through a nationwide network of member food banks and engage our country in the fight to end hunger.

Here is a list of local food banks, by state, where you can donate food:

•  Connecticut

•  New York

•  New Jersey

•  Pennsylvania

•  Delaware

Have a great Wednesday!

One Warm Coat

On the first day of our Thoughtful December, we want to tell you about One Warm Coat.  

"Our organization started in 1992 with a Thanksgiving weekend coat drive at one location in San Francisco.

Since then, we have welcomed thousands of groups across North America, who joined their efforts to ours with the same goal:

Collect coats to give to those in need, free of charge.

We…

• Develop and nurture the volunteer spirit in caring people everywhere.
• Make it easy to help those in need in local communities.
• Provide tools and resources to help volunteers organize coat drives, publicize their events and connect with local Agencies to distribute donated coats."

With the temperatures dropping so much recently, having a warm coat is really important.  I know that I have quite a few coats that I could get rid of, so why don't you join me.  Here is a list of coat drop locations, by state:

• Connecticut
• New York
• New Jersey
• Pennsylvania
• Delaware

Thanks for donating!