The American Red Cross, New Hampshire Catholic Charities, The Angel Tree Project, Toys For Tots, and the New Hampshire Union Leader’s Santa Fund for the Salvation Army. These are just a few of the charities that are donating time, money and goods to millions of the less fortunate during the holiday season.
The Red Cross, naturally, is most known for its blood donations. However, according to the online edition of The Clock from December 3, 2004, for those of you unable to donate blood when it came to PSU a few weeks ago, the holiday season would be a nice time to assist those in potentially mortal danger. If you do prefer dollar donations, however, simply go to redcross.org to find the closest chapter to your current residence. You can also use this website to find blood donor centers.
New Hampshire Catholic Charities, according to the same issue, is following its religious mandate. It provided food and other assistances to over 7,000,000 people across the nation in 2002 and, according to a North Country representative; over 60,000 of those people were in New Hampshire. The support given is non-denominational, and is not affected by social or economic background. Donations can be made by simply going to your local Catholic Church and picking up an envelope. (For PSU students and Plymouth-area residents, St. Matthews is just behind the Robert Frost House in the middle of the PSU grounds.) Donations can be made by going to catholiccharitiesinfo.org.
Toys For Tots and The Angel Tree Project are long-time traditions within many small communities. Put on by the PSU Volunteers here on campus, The Angel Tree Project is a great way to do something nice for a needy person most of us will never meet but will undoubtedly change the life of, if just for a moment on Christmas Day. While the one here on campus has ended, St. Matthews is holding the same event.
Toys For Tots, according to toysfortots2006.com, has been sponsored by the Marines for 59 years. In 2005 it delivered over 18.5 million toys to 7.4 million children, and is ready to beat that goal this year. On-line donations can be made at toysfortots.org.
Lastly, the Union Leader Santa Fund for the Salvation Army raised $276,858 in 2003. The association, started by Mr. and Mrs. Clair Lowman’s collaboration with the Union Leader, has a donation card on the newspaper’s website, theunionleader.com, and the cards are be in the newspaper itself. The latter can be picked up next to the snack shop in the HUB.
Unfortunately, not everybody can afford the time, money, or effort required to help in the ways mentioned above. For those people, we suggest donating small acts of kindness over the next few weeks. Holding open a door for an overburdened person is always appreciated, as is visiting an elderly relative or friend. Deciding to make up with a friend or relative long estranged would do a world of good for everyone involved, and helping strangers is always nice. In this, we should hope that everyone would honor the ChristmaHanuKwanzika-did we miss one?-season by giving just a little bit more then usual to help improve the world.