The Need is Great 

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Pets are Loving Support -- Helps people with life-threatening illnesses and senior citizens keep and care for their pets. Offers free in-home pet care such as feeding, dog walking and cat litter box cleaning, and provides free pet food and free veterinary care. Material needs: Monetary donations, gift certificates to purchase pet food. Volunteers needed. To help: Call 704-376-0805 or 704-561-5179, or e-mail palskaren@aol.com.

Planned Parenthood -- Provides low-cost birth control services and counseling, gynecological care, pregnancy testing, HIV testing and counseling, abortion counseling, teen theater programs and parent-child workshops. Material needs: Office supplies, financial donations. Volunteer needs: People who can donate a few hours a week to help in medical clinics, do clerical work and/or help with advocacy programs and health fairs. To help: Call Katie Tobin, 704-535-4793, weekdays 8am-5pm.

RAIN (Regional AIDS Interfaith Network) -- Provides HIV/AIDS prevention education. Trains and supervises teams offering direct care to persons living with HIV/AIDS and their families. Material needs: Financial donations. Volunteer needs: People to transport clients to medical appointments, train for Care Teams and help with data entry and fund-raisers. To help: Call 704-372-7246, weekdays 9-5

Residential Support Services -- Provides services to individuals with developmental disabilities and a wide variety of services to children and adults in home-based and community settings. Material needs: Computers, televisions, radios, furniture, personal hygiene items and monetary donations. Volunteers needed. To help: Call Sonya Gaskins, 704-536-6661.

Salvation Army -- Supplies food, clothing, shelter and social services for women and children who have no other place to go. Material needs: Financial contributions, food, paper products, towels, washcloths, twin-bed linens, toilet paper, combs, brushes, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, detergent and cleaning supplies, disposable diapers, pajamas for women and children, sweat suits for women and school supplies. Volunteer needs: People to assist with Christmas Bureau or to ring bells for Red Kettle Drive. People to adopt a family for Christmas or an angel or stocking for a child in the community. To help: Call Bonita, 704-334-4731.

Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina -- Feeds hungry people through a network of nearly 550 charitable organizations helping people in need throughout the Metrolina area. Material needs: Financial support (for every $1 received, provides $10 worth of food), food donations (most needed include high protein foods and canned fruits and vegetables). Volunteer needs: People to help sort and pack food and assist with other duties. To help: Call 704-376-1785.

SET of UCP (Formerly Supported Employment Training) -- Secures jobs for adults with severe disabilities in Mecklenburg, Union and Cabarrus counties. Material needs: Financial donations for client services, office supplies, office furniture, file cabinet, computer, printer. Volunteer needs: People to help with fund raising, publicity and newsletter. To help: Call 704-333-8220, weekdays 9am-4pm.

The Shelter for Battered Women -- Offers counseling, support and a safe haven for women and their children who are in danger of abuse from the woman's intimate partner. Material needs: New gift items for women and children, wrapping paper, boxes and tape, non-perishable food items, shampoo, deodorant, conditioner, lotion (not sample size), diapers, copy paper, industrial vacuum cleaner, laundry detergent and bleach. Volunteer needs: Office assistants daytime and evening, childcare workers daytime and night (urgent) and Workers for Holiday Store December 14. To help: Call 704-332-2513

Summit House -- Community based corrections for non-violent female offenders with children under the age of 7. Keeps families together while rehabilitating the offender. Material needs: Diapers, baby wipes, and baby related products. Educational toys, videos and books. Christmas toys for children under the age of 3 years old. Volunteer needs: People to assist residents in preparing for their GED. Mentors to assist in vocational and life skill training. To help: Call Linda Bryant or Jeri Arledge, 704-334-4423

Teen Health Connection -- Provides affordable and accessible physical and mental health care to young men and women ages 11-21, emphasizing a family-centered approach. Serves as a health education and advocacy resource to teens, their families and the community. Material needs: Monetary donations, incentives for teens (i.e., compact discs, gift certificates for merchandise, tickets to various events, individually wrapped snacks such as cookies, crackers, candy bars, etc.) To help: Call Sara Ashcraft, 704-921-6054.

Thompson Children's Home -- Serves children who have been abused and/or neglected or who are at risk of school failure through residential treatment, education day treatment, weekend treatment, group homes, foster care, and two child development centers. Material needs: New children's clothing, diapers and pull-ups, toiletries (liquid soap, toothpaste, shampoo, etc.), twin sheets, towels, batteries (all sizes), educational toys, art and craft supplies, school supplies. Volunteer needs: Office and special event volunteers to assist with mailings and seasonal activities. To help: Call Tiffany Slack, 704-536-0375