Serving Others All Year Long

Donations Are Needed All Year Long

Are you and your family planning to volunteer or make donations to your favorite non-profits? You're not alone. During the holiday season, non-profits have crowds of volunteers and take in more money and donations of food than at any other time of year. Unfortunately, attention drops once holiday decorations are packed away. So use your expertise and volunteer/"donate" your time to a non-profit of your choice all times of year.

St. Vincent De Paul

St. Vincent De Paul is well known in our state for providing food, clothing and shelter to those in need. St. Vincent De Paul uses volunteers in facilities for the disabled, five free dining rooms, thrift stores, food pantries, and a homeless shelter. All these places could especially use more help right after the Christmas season and also during the summer.

At the non-profit's Urban Farms gardens – three acres in area -- volunteers will help grow 50,000 pounds of vegetables this year for the society's five dining rooms that serve 4,200 meals a year and for food boxes given to other clients. Besides helping out when you volunteer at Urban Farms, you can learn all about organic gardening and even hydroponic gardening.

Military Assistance Mission (MAM)

The MAM focuses on members of the Arizona military. "We are all one big family, and until that service member can get home, we have to step up to the plate to support those left behind," says Founder Margy Bons.

The group provides funds to families struggling to pay bills, both among those now active in the military but also to veterans or reservists. The organization is especially well known for providing backpacks and schools supplies to 1,000 children in military families. Donating your time and resources to help this cause is another great way to give back.

Habitat For Humanity

More than 12,000 volunteers work each year on Habitat job sites and neighborhood revitalization.

Two special ways Phoenix/Tucson residents can contribute to the efforts of Habitat:

Donate your household items/building materials to a Habitat restore. That can include building materials as well as furniture and appliances.

If you're planning to remodel your home, you can get a Habitat volunteer group to deconstruct whatever room you plan to refurbish. They remove cabinets and fixtures and then take them to the restores to be sold. It's a great way to keep 10s of millions of tons of materials out of your local landfill and it could lower the cost of your remodeling job.

There are Habitat organizations all over the country including some in other parts of Arizona. All have the same goals, and they carry out their mission in a way that works best in their area.

Other Possibilities:

• Local Thrift Stores | Thrift stores run by non-profits need donations of all kinds such as Goodwill. 
• Don't forget our furry friends! | Local animal shelters always need donations and volunteers to help care for animals in need.

Special Note: Be sure to reach out to the non-profit of your choice ahead of time to see what kind of assistance they may need and what their current policies are regarding COVID-19

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