Ten Ways to Show Compassion and Give Back this Holiday Season

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Ten Ways to Show Compassion and Give Back this Holiday Season

Louisville, KY (November 16, 2015) – 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 some options:

  1. Join the Coalition for the Homeless’ “Five Bucks A Month Club” to get one person off of the streets and into shelter for one night each month during extreme weather. This helps fund the city’s White Flag Program, which provides funding to local shelters to open their doors and make space for everyone during the coldest winter nights.

  2. Attend 5th Annual Give-A-Jam to End Homelessness on Thursday, December 17, at the Clifton Center. Enjoy an evening of amazing live music and local food while supporting a great cause! Admission is $20 in advance, $25 at the door, and all proceeds support the Coalition for the Homeless’ Rx: Housing Veterans project to end and maintain an end for veteran homelessness in Louisville.

  3. Want to volunteer your time or plan a compassionate team building experience for staff or friends? Contact Metro United Way to find out what volunteer opportunities are available around the city. Call (502) 583-2821 to see how you can help.

  4. Host a hygiene product drive amongst your friends or co-workers and collect things like lotion, deodorant, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, toothbrushes, chapstick and other personal care products to donate to a local shelter.

  5. Make a few extra sandwiches at home and when you go out – offer them to individuals who may ask for change. Don’t feel like making your own? You can volunteer to go out with a local group like Forgotten Louisville to hand out sandwiches and help the homeless.

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  8. 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.

  9. 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 5 locations. For more information call the West Louisville Campus at (502) 775-6408. The Center for Women and Families also hosts a Holiday Gift Card Drive through December 12, so that the organization’s clients are empowered to do their own holiday shopping.

  10. 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 was awarded 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.