‘Tis the Season for Giving

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By Madelynne Kislovsky
WHEN WRITING OUT your holiday shopping list, people filled with the holiday spirit may want to keep the area charities and nonprofit organizations in mind.
Many charities in the Two River area offer a chance to bring smiles to individuals and families who may be struggling during the holiday season. Here are just a few of the opportunities to play Santa:
The Visiting Nurse Association Health Group’s “Seasons of Hope” Adopt a Family program has helped needy patients and their families for more than 15 years. These families include children, single moms, patients at end of life, elderly isolated seniors, and children and adults with special needs who are in need of life’s most basic essentials – food, clothing, and toys for children.
Contributions of gift cards from any popular chain stores like Shop-Rite, Foodtown, Pathmark, Target, Wal-Mart, or Kohls are greatly appreciated, and with these donations, volunteers will be able to do the shopping based on the needs of the VNA families.
Contributions can be mailed to Seasons of Hope, VNA Health Group, 176 Riverside Avenue, Red Bank NJ 07701, or online at www.vnahg.org.  The list of available families to be adopted will be available in November. For the list of profiles or questions about this program, please contact Pauline De Palma at 732-224-6933 or pauline.depalma@vnahg.org.
Family and Children’s Services (FCS) holds a program called Operation Sleighbells, which allowed 2,500 tags to be distributed throughout the community last season. When all donations are sorted through, each child receives one clothing item and two toys, in addition to new pajamas and new coats for each child. About 500 families are involved in the program, and although the main focus is the children, food gift cards are accepted for each family, along with donations of money and gift cards for older teens. FCS also has holiday trees with tags on them that are placed community-wide in schools, companies, businesses, and restaurants. Individuals play a big part in donating as well. Additional information about FCS Operation Sleighbells is available by calling 732-222-9111.
The Community YMCA is another program that does all it can for families in need. The YMCA has Giving Trees at its branches, in churches, restaurants, firehouses, and other locations that will benefit almost 350 children last year, according to Christina DeAngelis, assistant program director of Family Support, which runs the adopt-a-family and giving tree program. Donors are given the family’s entire wish list and are allowed to choose anything they want to give, based on what they think is appropriate. Some even specify the age or gender of a child that they want to shop for, based on their experience with their own children. Adults are not guaranteed a gift, but they are still asked to include their wishes and sizes on the Adopt-A-Family form. For more information call 732-544-4544, ext. 522.
Since being founded in Newark in 1880, The Salvation Army has provided services to communities all over the world. The Salvation Army Red Bank Corps holds an Adopt-A-Family program, where households that sign up first receive a Thanksgiving basket with a turkey and fixings for a holiday meal. Children in the home then include their wishes for the Angel tree tags, and each child, from newborn to 17 years old, receives two toy wishes that are valued at no more than $35 each. Additional tags list pants, shirt, and shoe sizes. The Salvation Army puts a lot of emphasis on the Angel Tree program due to financial constraints. The Salvation Army’s food pantry program, which runs year round, has also been struggling. Additional information is available by emailing Allison.hinzman@use.salvation-army.org or calling 732-747-1612.
Many other organizations, including community centers, libraries and churches offer similar giving opportunities.