The true spirit of the holidays is giving back: Charities you can support right now

With the holidays right around the corner, now is the perfect time to get involved in a great local cause. Roll up your sleeves, encourage your friends and family to pitch in, and help one of the many organizations in and around the city that are assisting those who need it most this holiday season. If you’re hosting a get-together in the coming weeks, or if you’re part of a sports or work team, encourage everyone to bring non-perishable foods or new toys, and start your own drive to donate to one of these valuable causes.

From food and toy drives to baskets full of much needed (and appreciated) goodies, these are a few local charities who need your help right now:

The ground-roots initiative Elves Filling Shelves was started by a Pierrefonds family several years ago as a way of helping local families have a wonderful Christmas. They provide “givers” with a shopping list of items to fulfill for a needy family, and it includes everything from clothing and toiletries to food and gifts. This year, they have received more requests for help from needy families than ever before and are trying to provide 160 families with help. They urgently need giving families.

Numerous organizations are putting together Christmas baskets: 211 (visit their website 211qc.ca to find out where you can drop off donations in your area), the Women’s Centre of Montreal (they distribute several hundred baskets to low-income women and families – visit centredesfemmesdemtl.org for more info), and Sun Youth (who give food baskets to over 12,000 people every year and need volunteers to help pack them up — sunyouth.org). Big Brothers Big Sisters West Island is collecting gifts for their holiday kids party with Santa, and they, too, are collecting items to assemble holiday baskets for local families in need.

The rising cost of groceries has meant a huge demand for assistance with food, especially during the holiday season. Share The Warmth is accepting donations for three projects: their food bank, after-school cooking workshops for children, and community lunches (for every $1 donated, they can redistribute $5 worth of food), and donors can also purchase differently sized food boxes for families who need it most ($150 can provide food for a family of six for an entire month).

Toy drives are also a wonderful way to help those who are younger and more vulnerable. Whether you purchase new toys, donate gently used ones, or offer your time and manpower to help organize and distribute them, toy drives are a great way to give back to the children in our community. Since 1988, Montréal’s firefighters, in conjunction with the Canadian Armed Forces civilian and military staff at the 202 Workshop Depot in Longue-Pointe and assisted by a solid team of volunteers, have collected donations of gently used toys. Last year, approximately 1,350 families were helped, and once again this year, firefighters are inviting Montrealers to give generously for their annual Christmas basket campaign. You can donate money or take gently used toys to the closest fire station (find yours here: sim.montreal.ca/en/map-fire-prevention-offices) before December 13.

Generations Foundation is running its annual toy drive to supply thousands of toys to needy children in schools and learning centers, as well as a food drive for families in various communities. There are more than a dozen drop-off locations listed on their website (www.generationsfoundation.com).

What began 20 years ago as a group of friends getting together and collecting a few toys for children has become one of the biggest holiday toy drives in the city. Carolyn’s Community provided 6,500 women and children with gifts last year to 75 women’s shelters and smaller organizations, and they have high hopes to exceed that this year. They believe gift-giving is best when it’s personal, so you can go to their website (right now) and choose the age and gender of the person you’d like to purchase something for. See both a Montreal and West Island list at carolynscommunity.com.

Each year, Chai Lifeline Canada collects over 800 toys that are given to children and families affected by serious illness. Starting December 1, you can send a gift to a child of any age, from infants to teenagers. Just visit their official Amazon wish list (you can see it here: chailifelinecanada.org) and the items will be shipped to either their Montreal or Toronto office for distribution.