Louisville, KY (November 25, 2014) – For most of us, the holidays bring happy memories, wonderful traditions, indulgent warm meals, and much-needed time spent with family and loved ones. But for some Louisvillians, these things are luxuries, not realities. There are many ways to help those who are less fortunate during the holidays. Here are eight options:
- Join the Coalition for the Homeless’ Five Bucks A Month Club to get one person off the streets and into shelter for one night each month during extreme weather. This helps fund the White Flag program, which provides funding to local shelters to open their doors and make space for everyone during the coldest winter nights. Click here for more information.
- Attend Give-A-Jam to End Homelessness on Thursday, December 18 at the Clifton Center and enjoy an evening of amazing live music and local food while supporting a great cause. Admission is $20 and all proceeds support the Coalition for the Homeless’ Rx: Housing Veterans project to end veteran homelessness by 2016.
- Want to volunteer your time or plan a compassionate team building experience for staff or friends? Contact Metro United Way and they will let you know what volunteer opportunities are available around the city. Call (502) 583-2821 to see how you can help.
- An unfortunate side effect of all the holiday parties is food waste. Instead of throwing away leftover food after a holiday gathering, call Kentucky Harvest at (502) 894-9999 and schedule a pick-up of the left-over perishable and non-perishable food. The donated food is then delivered to more than 120 missions, shelters and food pantries.
- Gently used clothes, coats, furniture, holiday decorations and/or toys can be donated to either Wayside Christian Mission (432 E. Jefferson Street, (502) 584-2986)or St. Vincent de Paul (1029 S. Preston Street, (502) 583-8158). St Vincent de Paul has four drop off locations and can pick up large donations and furniture if scheduled.
- New, unwrapped toys can be donated to the Salvation Army (911 South Brook St., (502) 671-4900). Known for their Army Angel Tree Program and Red Kettle Campaign, the Salvation Army is happy to accept new toys that aren’t designated for a specific child.
- The Center for Women and Families accepts donations of used cell phones, so that their clients always have a way to make a call in an unsafe situation. They can be dropped off at any of their five locations. For more information call the West Louisville Campus at (502) 775-6408.
- You can also help by simply sitting at your desk or laying on the couch and joining the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn and educating your networks on what causes you care about. Use the hashtag #TakeAStandLou to join the Coalition’s conversation about how you’ll take a stand for the homeless this holiday season.
About the Coalition for the Homeless
The Coalition for the Homeless, located at 1300 S. 4th Street, Suite 250, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with a mission to prevent and eliminate homelessness in Louisville. The Coalition has a three-pronged approach to this mission: advocacy, education, and coordination of their 29 member agencies who provide a variety of services to the homeless throughout the city. Through the Coalition’s collaborative Rx: Housing Veterans project, efforts are being coordinated to end veteran homelessness throughout Louisville by 2016. The Coalition recently won the 2014 Center for Nonprofit Excellence’s Art of Social Innovation Pyramid Award for its Bed One-Stop Program. For more information, visit www.louhomeless.org, call (502) 636-9550, or find The Coalition for the Homeless on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LouHomeless.
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