Our neighbours are struggling in ways we have not seen in a long time. This includes organizations that work to help those most in need. People who hope to offer help, whether large or small, can often feel overwhelmed by the number of agencies they can donate to, or can struggle to understand what is needed most. Taproot has assembled a quick guide to five organizations that need specific things this holiday season.
- What's most needed: Baby formula, canned beans (with or without pork), healthy school snacks (100% real juice, granola bars, fruit cups), canned fish or other canned proteins, peanut butter, soup, pasta, sauce for pasta.
- How to donate: Take non-perishable food donations to Edmonton fire stations. Ring the buzzer and leave your donation with staff. Alternatively, take your donation to the food bank's warehouse at 11508 120 Street NW during the warehouse drop-off hours.
- What's most needed: Bissell runs the Helpy Holidays campaign to allow you to shop for donations. Items currently listed as urgent needs are 20 meals for the hungry for $64 and baby formula and diapers for $55.
- How to donate: You can donate money, goods, or your own time at Bissell's Helpy Holidays page.
Boyle Street Community Services
- What's most needed: Money, meals, fundraising help, long-term donations
- How to donate: Boyle Street's giving page explains multiple ways to offer donations of money or your help to raise money. You can even use the page to turn an unused or unwanted old car you own into a roof over someone's head with Homeless Cars.
- What's most needed: Christmas Bureau officials told Taproot they need people to put on peer-to-peer fundraising events like bake sales, office raffles, silent auctions, and the like. They also seek monetary donations as well as volunteers to drive and perform other duties.
- How to donate: Organize a fundraiser or donate cash using the how-to-donate page.
Boys & Girls Clubs Big Brothers Big Sisters of Edmonton & Area
- What's most needed: Mentors
- How to donate: Offer your time, or suggest that your organization become part of the BCGBigs corporate mentorship program. "Right now there are hundreds of local youth waiting to make connections with mentors — and Edmonton's business community can help fill the gap in a unique but vital way by giving back to our community today," BGCBigs said in a release.
Photo: The shelves at Edmonton's Food Bank in 2016. (Mack Male/Flickr)