Ways to Volunteer in the South Bay this Holiday Season
Ways to Volunteer in the South Bay this Holiday Season
Looking for ways to volunteer in the South Bay this Holiday Season? A fun way to make spirits bright this Christmas? Support our local charities and non-profit organizations by making a donation? Weāve put together a very merry South Bay Give Back Guide filled with ideas for volunteering, helping, supporting, donating, and sending glad tidings to our community during what can be a difficult time for many. āTis the season for getting your family together to remember what this holiday is really about; giving more than receiving, serving more than expecting, and bringing cheer to those in need. The more the merrier, so round up your bunch and check out our Holiday Give Back ideas!
Also, check out our list of year-round volunteer opportunities and local organizations that accept in-kind donations.
Buddy Bench Bottle Cap Collection (Kiwanis)
Pay it Forward Buddy Bench Project by The Redondo Beach Kiwanis Club has set the goal of helping schools/groups get 500 benches in 5 years! They are collecting plastic caps and lids and then send them to a company in Indiana that grinds up those caps and lids and makes a buddy bench out of them!
They will be collecting the first Saturday of every month at Alta Vista Park in Redondo Beach
Sandpipers: Holiday Baskets
Each December, Sandpipers, often with their own families, shop for and distribute baskets (more like car-loads!) filled to the brim with household necessities, personal care items, clothing, and toys to āadoptedā families in financial need. The participating families are recommended by our agency partners after suffering true and recent economic hardships.
This year, for your shopping convenience, Sandpipers is introducing a new Holiday Baskets-specific WISH LIST option, which includes a broad range of items from essential to non-essential for our Holiday Baskets program. We encourage you to share the list with family and friends so we can inspire others to join in the spirit of giving this holiday.
Sandpipers: Sugarplum
Holiday Wishes Granted to 1,500 Children in the L.A. Foster Care System with the help of Sugarplum toy drive. Every holiday season Sandpipers works with DCFS to provide toys for boys and girls in need. Each toy donation is $25 or less and this year they have a goal of providing 1500 toys.
Participate by clicking on their holiday wish list which will include gift options for you to choose from to help support a child in need. We encourage you to share this list with family and friends so we can provide the 1500 gifts needed for this year.
Sandpipers Annual Holiday Homes Tour
For 27 years, the Sandpipers Annual Holiday Homes Tour has showcased distinctive South Bay homes beautifully decorated for the holiday season by local designers, retailers, and florists.
The Holiday Marketplace brings together an imaginative group of local, artisanal vendors offering unique home decor, fine jewelry, tasty treats and other great gift ideas.
For years the local community has made this an inspiring day of shopping and holiday spirit with friends, in beautiful South Bay surroundings.
More info here: Sandpipers Annual Holiday Homes Tour
Operation Teddy Bear Toothbrush Drive, The Volunteer Center South Bay
‘Tis the season for smiles! From now through the end of the year, The Volunteer Center is hosting the Operation Teddy Bear Toothbrush Drive!
We need 2,500 new individually packaged child-sized toothbrushes and 2,500 individually wrapped or boxed toothpaste tubes to give to first-grade students as part of our annual Operation Teddy Bear program.
Drop off donations at 1230 Cravens Ave. in Torrance Monday- Friday 9:30 – 3:30 p.m. or small quantities through the mail slot after hours.
Love in the Mirror
Love in the Mirror is partnering with Gay For Good to bring toys to local children in need. Due to the pandemic, we are anticipating a record amount of families this year and need your help in collecting donations. Toy donations must be new and unwrapped and for ages 2-13. Donate now through December 10th. We are also accepting diaper donations. A list of drop-off locations will be published soon.
If you are interested in assisting with the donation collection or to host a drop-off location, please connect us by email at info@loveinthemirror.org.
You can donate online: https://www.paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/2056499
or use our preferred method of donating by purchasing directly from our
Amazon Holiday Wish List:
https://tinyurl.com/y536366r
(These items will be shipped directly to us)
All donations will be distributed at Love in the Mirror’s annual toy giveaway in December.
Love in the Mirror cultivates youth-led, service-focused initiatives to create a positive impact in the world through meaningful programs for all members of the community. We are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
Learn more at: www.loveinthemirror.org
and www.gayforgood.org
Holiday Loving
These families have been through the worst of times since (and before) the Covid-19 epidemic. Celebrating the holidays can be exceedingly tough for single parents, families with five or more children, grandparents or children with special needs, and family members who have died. We sympathize with the families in our town and recognize the system’s lack of assistance. We are pressed to buy gifts in a capitalist culture, especially around the holiday season, so disenfranchised low-income families may feel like they are letting their children down if they can’t afford to put presents beneath the tree.
Ways to help:
- DONATE A GIFT
- DONATE A NEW OUTFIT
- VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME
- DONATE MONEY
Rainbow Services
RAINBOW SERVICES provides shelter and supportive services to victims of domestic violence and their children in the Harbor and South Bay areas of Los Angeles County. We are accepting new, unwrapped gifts for children and teens in our shelter. Gift cards are also appreciated. Visit rainbowservicesdv.org for more on what we do.
Richstone Family Center Adopt a Family
Itās that time of year again! As we prepare for the fast approaching holiday season, weād like to extend an invitation to you to participate in our Adopt a Family program once again. The purpose of Richstoneās Adopt a Family program is to support families undergoing economic and emotional hardships during the holiday season through providing Thanksgiving meals, household essentials, and holiday gifts.
Switzer Center Adopt-a-family
This holiday season, provide a hand to a deserving family. Adopt a Family and purchase gifts for students and their siblings who would otherwise go without. Just in time for Black Friday shopping, we’ll email you the wish lists! Please fill out the form below to participate. You can adopt a single student, a full family, or simply donate money and an elf will shop for you! The average amount spent each student is between $100 and $200. Any monetary donation, no matter how small, is much welcomed and will be utilized to purchase things for students who are in need. Please contact development@switzercenter.org or call (310) 328-3611 x333 if you have any queries.
YWCA of the Harbor Adopt-a-family
Since 1918, the YWCA has provided services to families in the broader South Bay area. We’re searching for sponsors for our Adopt-A-Family Program this holiday season, which will allow us to offer Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets to individuals in need. This year, we expect to assist over 80 families!
Many families and individuals in our community, as you are aware, go without sufficient food, shelter, and medical treatment on a daily basis. They may be facing job loss or other difficulties.
We hope you will be able to join us in helping our neighbors during the holidays. Your thoughtful contribution will go a long way toward ensuring that many families are taken care of during the holiday season. It means a lot to usāand to all of the other families involved.
Salvation Army Western Region Adopt-a-family
Adopt-A-Family is a Salvation Army Christmas initiative that helps families that are in need due to unemployment, homelessness, medical challenges, or other unforeseen circumstances, and who would otherwise be unable to celebrate the holidays. This program gives families a memorable holiday experience at a crucial time in their life.
Food, clothing, and presents are provided to adoptive families by their sponsors.
The Guidance Center (Long Beach) Adopt-a-family
This initiative unites community members and local businesses with families who are customers of The Guidance Center’s clinics in Long Beach, Compton, and San Pedro during the winter holiday season. Adoptive families come from all walks of life and confront a variety of challenges. We’ll tell you about their stories and provide you their wish lists to help you shop. We work with families of all sizes and welcome adoptions from any of our clients. Many local community individuals and local organizations have brought joy to our clients and their families throughout the years.
If you would like to join this year or have any questions about the program, please contact Lorraine Lyou, our Chief Development Officer, at llyou@tgclb.org or 562.485.2276.