The Creative Loafing 2001 Guide to Holiday Giving 

Volunteers needed.

To help: Call Jeremy Barrows, 704-567-2700.

Alexander Children's Center Serves children ages 5-18 with emotional and behavioral problems.

Material needs: New clothing and toys.

Volunteers: People to help with a "store" and carnival.

To help: Call Andrea Towner, 704-362-6760.

American Red Cross Teaches life-saving health education courses, responds to disasters, educates the community on how to prepare for an emergency, collects blood, provides transportation to medical appointments, supplies emergency communications for military personnel, and provides international tracing services.

Material needs: Life-saving blood donations and monetary donations to support local efforts.

Volunteers: Especially those with daytime availability.

To help: Call 704-376-1661.

Big Brothers/Big Sisters Transforms the lives of youth and volunteers through a variety of quality one-to-one mentoring relationships.

Material needs: Non-perishable foods for low income families, school supplies, a full size refrigerator for the office (used is fine as long as it is in good working condition).

Volunteers: Men needed to be Big Brothers to male youth ages 6-14 in our community-based program. Both men and women needed to be BIGS to youth 6-14 in school-based programs at Park Road and Sedgefield Elementary Schools.

To help: Call 704-377-3963.

Catholic Social Services Provides pregnancy counseling, licensed adoption and foster care programs, limited material assistance including burial assistance for those who qualify, individual family, marriage and substance abuse counseling, and Hispanic outreach services. Serves people of all denominations.

Material needs: Food vouchers, nonperishable food items, three office desks (wooden and in good condition), four new Pentium computers with printers.

Volunteers: Bilingual volunteers needed.

To help: Call 370-6155 weekdays 9am-5pm.

Charlotte Area Gleaning Network/Society of St. Andrew Salvages produce from farms to help feed the hungry and eliminate waste. Volunteers gather crops that would otherwise be left in fields and orchards after harvest. Gleaned produce is distributed to neighborhoods in need and to soup kitchens and food pantries.

Material needs: Financial contributions.

Volunteers: Names of farmers who would allow gleaning (a 10 percent sales tax credit is available), gleaners of all ages, people who could make telephone calls or write thank-you notes at home.

To help: Call 704-553-1730 anytime.

Charlotte Emergency Housing Provides opportunities through advocacy, temporary shelter and support services for homeless families in their transition to stable housing.

Material Needs: Organizes a Christmas Store for adult residents and their children to go into and pick out gift items for each other. Need gifts for mom, dad, infants, young children, and adolescent boys and girls. Gifts for store can include candles, lotion, potpourri, frames, lamps, basketballs, footballs, toys and games, purses, books, videos (any kind), new (or new looking) clothes, (coats, sweaters, long sleeve shirts), holiday supplies (gift boxes, wrapping paper, bows, gift tags, tape, holiday decorations, gift certificates (to Target, K-mart, Michael's, Wal-mart). Also needed are paper plates, paper cups, plastic ware, napkins.

Volunteers: People to make holiday decorations with the children, have a holiday cookie decorating party, adopt a family for Christmas, bring in Santa to give gifts to children, bring in groups to sing Christmas carols.

To help: Call Angie, 704-335-5488 ext. 17.

Charlotte Rescue Mission Ministers to individuals caught in cycles of poverty, hopelessness, and chemical addictions by meeting their spiritual, physical, emotional, social and vocational needs.

Material needs: Forks, knives, spoons, dinner plates, cereal bowls, paper products (paper towels, napkins, cups, plates), disposable gloves, kitchen towels, potholders, plastic 90" round tablecloths, food donations, over the counter medications, first aid supplies, office supplies, copy paper, printing services, hand tools, power tools for maintenance, paint brushes, clean up rags, cleaning supplies.

To help: Call Beverly Barr, Volunteer Coordinator, 704-334-4635 ext. 214.

Child Care Resources Provides information and referrals to families in search of child care or after-school programs. Administers child-care financial assistance to eligible Mecklenburg County families. Offers training and support to professionals in child-care and after-school care. Supports area employers in addressing employees' work/life needs.

Material needs: Books, games and puppets (may be used if in good condition), new stuffed animals -- all for children in grades K-6.

Volunteers: People to check out and distribute books through mobile lending library.

To help: Call Jeff Ready, 704-376-6697 ext. 192, weekdays 8am-5pm.

A Child's Place Works in collaboration with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to provide education and support services and to advocate for children and their families who are homeless or at risk of being homeless.

Material Needs: Christmas sponsors, food certificates, gift certificates, linens, towels, dishes, curtains, pots/pans, kitchen items, bathroom items, trash bags, hygiene items, school combination locks, alarm clocks, irons, hair care products, and money for class fieldtrips. All items must be new.