Give local: Asheville charities to think about this holiday season

We’ve gathered a list of local charities to consider this season, offering food, shelter, Christmas and support to local people who need it.

The deadline to help some of these charities may have passed. Call to see what help they might still need for 2012.

Christmas charities for children, families and elders in need

Eliada Homes: Sponsor a child for Christmas. Eliada provides foster care for youth.

WNC Toys for Tots: Western North Carolina Toys for Tots is a locally run campaign of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Foundation. Everything that is collected by the campaign stays in our area to help children right here at home.

Santa Pal: Since 1936 the Asheville Optimist Club has continued the yearly tradition of raising money, buying quality toys, and making sure that all children in the community have presents for Christmas.

The St. Nicholas Project: Drop-off sites for toy collection

Buncombe County Senior Wish Tree: This project provides Christmas for elders and adults with disabilities in our community who have no family support.

Be a Santa to a Senior: Holiday program partners with Walgreens and Meals On Wheels to bring gifts to Buncombe County seniors

Other worthy local programs: Housing, food and getting the Asheville High Marching Band to the President’s inaugural festival 

Warren Haynes Christmas Jam Charitable Foundation: Support Habitat for Humanity–help give someone a house to live in.

Homeward Bound of Asheville: Give time, money or stuff to the award-winning local charity that helps end homelessness locally with permanent housing.

MANNA FoodBank makes it easy: From now until Christmas Eve, for every “like” on the MANNA Facebook page, a generous and anonymous donor donates one dollar to MANNA–and that turns into three meals for a hungry person.

Already liked MANNA? Tell a friend! Seriously, tell your friends and tell them to tell their friends.

And there’s more: From now until Christmas Eve, for every new “like” on The Corner Kitchen’s Facebook page, The Corner Kitchen will donate $1 to MANNA FoodBank.

Like The Corner Kitchen and help feed a family in WNC. One click is all it takes!

Helpmate’s wishlist: Ongoing client and shelter needs for an organization that helps women and their children escape abusive relationships. Often, battered women leave with only the clothes on their back. Show them their community cares.

Meals on Wheels: No one should be hungry during the holidays. In-home meal delivery service for elderly homebound clients living in Asheville and Buncombe County. Five hundred meals served every weekday.

Loving Food Resources: Loving Food Resources provides basic food and personal care items to people living with HIV/AIDS and those in home hospice care.

Asheville High Marching Band: The only school in North Carolina invited to play a special sit-down concert at the inaugural festival in January, the band needs help with expenses toward traveling to the nation’s capital to play the concert of a lifetime.

Read more about the band’s trip here.

More info

Jason’s 2008 post on ways to volunteer and help in the holiday season

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What did we miss? What other charities provide food, shelter, holiday gifts and support to local people who need it?