10 Ways You Can Give Back This Holiday Season

Adopt-A-Family

During a typical year, the Adopt-A-Family program provides urgently needed assistance to over 4,500 disadvantaged Delaware families totaling more than 15,000 individuals. Volunteers are needed to provide lodging, utility, clothing needs, educational support, and holiday assistance. The Delaware Chapter is based in Wilmington and is always looking for more volunteers.

Be a Santa to a Senior

With locations in Wilmington, Dover and Lewes, Home Instead Senior Care partners with local non-profit and community organizations to identify seniors who might not otherwise receive gifts this holiday season. The company then works with local businesses and retail stores to help facilitate the purchase and distribution of gifts by placing trees and ornaments within their various locations. Each senior’s gift requests are written on a Be a Santa to a Senior bulb, picked by a volunteer, and delivered for the holidays.

Stockings For Soldiers

Stockings for Soldiers encourages the community to come together to create and send holiday greetings to American soldiers. Volunteers are needed for a variety of tasks including personalizing each stocking with the recipient's name, collecting the needed goodies, sorting all the donations, stuffing the stockings with goodies, boxing them and shipping them to troops in the remotest regions of the world. Note: Stockings For Soldiers has a new location in Brandywine Town Center.

University of Delaware's Fill the Pantry

Dining Services invites the campus community to help combat food insecurity this season. Students, faculty, and staff are invited to participate in a week-long food drive to help fill the University of Delaware’s student-led food pantry, Blue Hen Bounty, and The Food Bank of Delaware with nonperishables. From Thursday, Dec. 5, to Friday, Dec. 13, the campus community can purchase a bag of nonperishable items from Harrington and Pencader P.O.D. Markets to donate.

Claymont Food Closet

Claymont Food Closet typically supplies food to 500 households a total of 2,000 visits each year and encourages people of all ages to donate food, money, or time this holiday season. The organization works with individual donors and a variety of organizations – such as businesses, churches, and schools – to collect non-perishable food and other grocery items. Claymont Food Closet works with all types of groups and is a great way for children to get involved in volunteering!

Newark Area Welfare Committee Holiday Food Box Drive

Each December NAWC distributes 300+ boxes of food for local families in need.

The boxes are put together by volunteers with the help of partner businesses and organizations at the Memorial Hall of First Presbyterian Church in Newark. Many volunteers are needed over the course of three days, so if you are interested in helping, sign up here!

Rehoboth Beach VFC 2019 Holiday Arts & Crafts Show and Sale Fundraiser

The members of the Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Company Auxiliary invite you to the 2019 Holiday Arts & Crafts Fundraiser to benefit the Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Company! On December 7th from 9 am to 3 pm, local artist and crafters will be showcasing their talents with handmade items just in time for your holiday shopping. In addition, there will be food available for purchase and a silent auction with items from local restaurants. Please join for food, fun, music, and supporting your local Fire Company and their First Responders.

Salvation Army Christmas Toy Shop

The Salvation Army distributes toys, clothes, and other gifts through their Christmas Toy Shop. For families in need, there are Salvation Army Angel Trees at both the Christiana and Concord Malls. This will allow shoppers to pick a name and gift to purchase. Children receive gifts based on their wish list. Through this program, we try to ensure every child has a gift on Christmas morning. The Salvation Army offers many more opportunities to volunteer during the holidays and all year round.

Faithful Friends Animal Society

Faithful Friend's mission is to end the neglect, abandonment, and killing of pets in Delaware and to enrich the lives of people by promoting and providing compassionate animal-related welfare and social services. This holiday season, Faithful Friends is looking for foster and shelter volunteers, donations, and loving homes for their adorable pets.

Food Bank of Delaware's Mobile Pantry

The Food Bank’s Kraft Mobile Pantry brings both shelf-stable and fresh foods to low-income Delawareans. Through the program, up to 50 households access the pantry each day choosing foods best suited for their family! In addition, an education session may take place prior to distribution focusing on a variety of topics including nutrition, financial literacy, healthcare and more. The organization is currently seeking community partners to help host the next pantry distribution on December 11th, 2019.

Looking for more ways to volunteer? Visit here!