Pick a Cause as a Family and Give Back this Holiday Season in Des Moines

The holiday season has a magical way of producing a case of the “gimmies”. Use the holidays to teach your kids that giving is just as rewarding as receiving. We uncovered some of Des Moines’ hardest-working nonprofits who have room for donations and volunteers of all ages looking to make a difference. Decide your cause as a family and how you want to contribute.

Here are some fantastic organizations and ideas for paying it forward this holiday season in Des Moines:

Caring Hands

Get your kids involved to teach them that not every family always has enough food to go around. Caring Hands in Altoona provides food and clothing specifically to residents in Southeast Polk, Bondurant, and Pleasant Hill. Visit their Donation page, which lists they’re biggest needs. You can also mail in monetary donations to the organization.

Candeo

If you are looking to adopt a family for the holidays, Candeo’s Adopt-A-Family program is a great option. This non-profit organization in Ankeny provides support services to persons with disabilities. You can receive a client’s wish list with specific sizes, age and gender and Candeo will do the wrapping! Gifts can be dropped off or you can arrange for a time for them to be picked up. You can also make a monetary donation. For questions, please call (515) 259-8110 and ask for Lori or Denise.

Furry Friends Refuge

If your children are pet lovers, Furry Friends Refuge may be the organization for you. Your family can save the lives of homeless animals by donating supplies or making a monetary donation. You can also donate your time by volunteering to help with the care of the animals at the Refuge.

Impact Community Action Partnership

IMPACT makes it easy to host a drive with lists of needed items for both a food drive and a personal pantry drive. They also have some tips and tricks, so the drive will be successful. If you need some questions answered before you commit, contact Jen Heithoff at (515) 777-7566 or by email at jheithoff@impactcap.org.

Ronald McDonald House

Every little bit can help, and it’s a great lesson to teach your kids. Keep pulling those Pop Tabs to benefit the Des Moines Ronald McDonald House! All you need to do is collect your pop tabs and then return them to Ronald McDonald House. Another way to give back is to organize a wish list drive for household items. Many families spend weeks or months away from their homes to get treatment for their ill children and stay at Ronald McDonald Houses “home-away-from-home.” You can provide them simple but necessary items to make their stay easier.

Does your family give to a local cause in Des Moines during the holidays? Let us know where in the comments below!