For many of us, the arrival of December brings with it the excitement of the holiday season. The sights and smells bring back warm memories of years past and eager expectation for time spent with friends and family. For some of our neighbors, however, the holiday season can bring with it additional challenges in the form of additional financial and emotional stressors that can take all the magic out of this time of year. If you are able, please consider helping those in need this holiday season. Gifts and gestures, both big and small, can go a long way toward brightening the lives of those in our community who could use it the most when you become a Cenla Santa!
For many in our community, the worries of providing basic needs for themselves or their families make the joys of Christmas out of reach. When you extend your generosity to The Salvation Army of Alexandria, you are not only ensuring food security for the hungry and offering safe shelter to those without homes, but also bringing the miracle of Christmas morning to our neighbors in need.
Please help our community this holiday season and beyond to provide relief and hope to our neighbors in need. The following options are available for those wishing to donate to the Salvation Army:
- Donate with cash, coins, checks, or digitally with Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and Venmo, at any Red Kettle across the country.
- Provide Christmas gifts to children of local families in need through The Salvation Army Angel Tree. You can also contact the Alexandria Salvation Army at (318) 442-0445 about volunteering to distribute donated Angel Tree gifts.
- Call (318) 442-0445 to sign up to volunteer at a Red Kettle.
- Ask Amazon’s Alexa to donate by saying, “Alexa, donate to The Salvation Army,” and then specifying the amount.
- Sign up for a sustaining gift of $25.00 a month at https://give.SalvationArmyUSA.org
- Give any amount by texting “KETTLES” to 51555.
On the day of the event, City Hall will be decorated with holiday cheer and Santa and Mrs. Claus will be there, too! In addition to toys and tech items, they have obtained books from the United Way, gift cards from local restaurants, fleece blankets, and toiletry kits will go to the first 500 families who attend.
If you would like to make a donation to the Doll and Toy Fund to help needy families in our area enjoy the holidays, please send a check made out to Doll and Toy Fund to: Rotary Club of Alexandria, P.O. Box 12306, Alexandria, LA 71315. You may also CLICK HERE to pay with a credit card. Please indicate how you would like your donation listed and if it is in memory or in honor of someone.
For more information, contact this year’s Doll and Toy Chair, Jim Smilie, at (318) 730-1683.
When you donate to the Tinsel Toy Drive, every dollar raised goes to providing hand-picked holiday gifts for local pediatric patients in CHRISTUS St. Frances Cabrini Hospital’s NICU, Pediatric Unit, 17 School-Based Health Clinics, and Pediatric Therapy Center. The team at the Cabrini Foundation will make sure each child has a special holiday surprise to fit their individual needs. 100% of the funds raised by the Cabrini Foundation stay local, helping to make a difference in Central Louisiana. Help lift up these families this holiday season, and make sure all they have to worry about is a swift recovery!
If you would like to contribute physical toys, or see what types of toys/items will be purchased, please visit the Tinsel Toy Drive Amazon Wish List. All orders will be shipped directly to CHRISTUS St. Frances Cabrini Hospital. For more information on how you can make a difference for a child spending the holidays in the hospital, contact the CHRISTUS Cabrini Foundation at (318) 448-6580.
CLASS, Healthy Living for All is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) community-based organization headquartered in Alexandria. For more than thirty years, CLASS has been dedicated exclusively to the creation of a more equitable Louisiana through the provision of services designed to foster collaboration, eliminate barriers, and meet the needs of the people they serve. What originated as a collective of volunteers supporting people living with HIV and their loved ones has evolved into a robust network serving all of the Louisiana Department of Health Region VI’s nearly 7,000 square miles, including Avoyelles, Catahoula, Concordia, Grant, LaSalle, Rapides, Vernon, and Winn Parishes.
CLASS Holiday Wishes is also seeking volunteers to serve as Secret Santas for this year’s program. To participate, call CLASS at (318) 442-1010, email class@class.life, or visit class-cenla.org. Together, we can make sure Holiday Wishes come true!
This year, program coordinators hope to reach more seniors than last year by collecting gifts for 400 local older adults. To participate, shoppers can visit the “Be a Santa to a Senior” tree on display at the Home Instead office, 4012 Parliament Drive, Alexandria, 71303. Ornaments featuring the name and desired gift of an older adult will be on display, and shoppers can buy the requested gift and return it in a gift bag to the location with the ornament attached. Ornaments will be available through December 8th. The gifts will be delivered to local older adults in time for the holidays.
“Gifts aside, the true value comes in the connection ‘Be a Santa to a Senior’ makes between the community and our older neighbors,” said Potito. “Be a Santa to a Senior” is a true community program. The Home Instead office serving Alexandria has partnered with local businesses, non-profit organizations, volunteers, and members of the community to help with gift collection and distribution. For more information, visit BeaSantatoaSenior.com.
However you choose to reach out this year, know that your efforts make a difference. So, don your red stocking cap, put on a smile and become a Cenla Santa this holiday season!