Every holiday season we give and receive more gifts than we really need. This year, the Green Coast team would like you to consider giving the gift of a donation to charity to make a difference in the lives of vulnerable families or individuals.  These 9 Holiday Giving Ideas will make a difference in supporting those who need a helping hand with food, shelter and other types of supports in the coming months:

Image by Blanka Šejdová from Pixabay

Greater Vancouver Food Bank

You can give a family a warm meal to share this holiday season.  Non-perishable food items may be dropped off at the Greater Vancouver Food Bank warehouse in Burnaby or donate at any participating grocery stores in Burnaby, Vancouver, New Westminster, and the North Shore. There are many ways to give including cash donations such as cash, cheque, and month giving contributions.

SHARE Family & Community Services

SHARE is accepting donations for its clients in the Tri-Cities through a virtual grocery store this holiday season. Virtual donations include contributions to a holiday food hamper, the Share toy shop, the Tiny Bundles program for babies, a tank of gas for the Share Food Bank donation truck, and more.

Shelter to Home

Shelter to Home provides furniture and household items, at no cost, to people living on the North Shore who are either transitioning from homelessness to independent living or who are living on extremely limited incomes.  They are currently accepting donations of furniture and household items from North Vancouver and West Vancouver residents. For more information, call 778-331-8465 or email info@sheltertohome.ca.

YWCA

Help build better futures for struggling single moms with the YWCA. Choose a gift from YWCA’s list of suggested donations – including everything from groceries, to healthy meals, to legal services for a single mother – this holiday season.

Harvest Project

North Vancouver’s Harvest Project provides coaching, counselling, a rent bank, groceries and clothing support to North Shore residents challenged by family break down, illness, job loss and poverty. This Christmas, donations are being accepted online to assist the hundreds of families who need help each month. Or donate directly to the Harvest Project Emergency Grocery Gift Card Program.

Image by Jeremy Smith from Pixabay

Mom2Mom Child Poverty Initiative

This holiday season, the goal at Mom2Mom is to raise $35,000 to ensure Vancouver moms who live in poverty will have what they need to feed their families in 2021. Make a donation to ensure moms make it to the end of every month without running out of food.

Covenant House Vancouver

Covenant House provides care and hope to Vancouver’s homeless and at-risk street youth helping young people aged 16 to 24 who have fled physical, emotional and sexual abuse; those who have been forced from their homes; and those who have aged out of foster care. Donate to make a difference in the lives of youth experiencing homelessness.

The Shoebox Project

The Shoebox Project’s virtual holiday drive is being held until January 1, 2021. Help a woman who is living in a shelter by creating a Virtual Shoebox – a fun and thoughtful experience of putting together a gift for a local woman in need.

Salvation Army

Give hope for a better tomorrow! Your donation to The Salvation Army helps provides struggling neighbours with food, comfort and hope while they work to get back on their feet. Even on the merriest of days, everyone needs an army.

Donating to any of these amazing charities will without a doubt make a difference to improve lives in our city. There’s an expression saying that it’s better to give than to receive – and holiday giving may be the most rewarding gift idea you’ll ever have.