Each year, when it’s time for Christmas to roll around, there are many people who are scrambling for resources. They want to get presents and participate in the festivities, but they may not have the money to do so. Truth be told, Americans spend a lot of money at this time of the year, even when they don’t necessarily have it to spend. The good news is that there are places that offer Christmas assistance for seniors.
Seniors who want to participate in the Christmas festivities and feel they cannot afford it do have options. They can turn to the programs below seeking assistance. There are plenty of programs that will help people at this time of the year, even if they don’t provide assistance throughout the rest of year. It all comes down to knowing where to turn for help.
Many of the programs that provide Christmas assistance for seniors and others who need it are locally based. They are smaller, grassroots organizations that come together at this time of the year to give back to people in the community. It may be the only time of the year that they engage in outreach work, but they often do a lot during December, leading up to the Christmas holiday. These programs play an important role in helping to ensure that people feel included in the holiday festivities and they haven’t been forgotten, even if they don’t have extra money to spend.
Where to Find Christmas Assistance for Seniors
The options below will help you find a place that provides Christmas assistance for seniors and others in need. Contact as many of these places as you feel are a good fit for your situation. There’s no limit on the number of places and programs you can reach out to for assistance.
Local Programs – This is one of the best routes to finding Christmas assistance. Most communities have small groups that get together to help people each December. Often times, these groups start their outreach work around Thanksgiving and it continues through Christmas. They are groups like local ladies clubs, book clubs, mom’s groups, business groups, businesses, etc. Even Girl Scout and Boy Scout groups will focus o helping people with their Christmas needs during December. There are many such groups that want to get together at this time of the year to help people in their community. They make it known that is what they are doing, so you need to watch for their posts and announcements, and ask around to see if anyone knows any such groups doing outreach work that you can benefit from. Groups like this are found in all over the country. The groups work collectively to help seniors or they will each choose a person to help individually.
Helping Hands – This is a group that is found all around the country. They are an organization that helps people in the community who need it. One of the things they do is provide Christmas assistance to those who need it. They will put together a box of items and deliver it to seniors in need. The box usually contains some holiday food items and some presents. Helping Hands locations usually have locally focused websites and names, rather than having one national place of contact. To find yours, do a search for Helping Hands and your city name.
Salvation Army – This faith-based organization is great at helping people all year and they continue the work at Christmas. Contact your local office to see what type of assistance they are providing and if you can get some assistance. They are typically able to provide people with free food, clothing, etc. You don’t have to be religious to get help from their organization. To get more information and find your local Salvation Army, click here.
Catholic Charities – This is another faith-based organization that provides people with a range of helpful services all year. They will help seniors at any time of the year. Contact your local office to see if you can get help with what you need. You don’t have to be religious to get help from this charity. They help anyone in the community who needs it. To find a location near you, click here.
Churches – There are churches all around the country and they help people all year. Christmas is their special holiday and they tend to celebrate it big. Find out what your local churches are doing and if they are offering outreach to help people in the area. Most churches hold big celebrations at this time of the year and their congregation will come together to give things to those in need. They may give out gift baskets, bags of food, buy special gifts from wish lists, and more. You don’t have to be a member of the church to reach out to them for assistance. They will help anyone in the community who needs it.
Food Pantries – There are food pantries throughout the country that will provide bags of food, including at Christmas time. Many of them also have soup kitchens and will provide a meal on Christmas Day. You can go there and eat for free and they will often have other festivities going on that you can engage in. To find food pantries in your area, click here.
Christmas Gifts for Seniors – There are local places that do an “adopt a senior” at Christmas program. These are run by local groups, such as those mentioned above. They will find out what the senior wants or needs and they will purchase it for them. There is also a national organization where people can participate in such a program. The program is called Christmas Gifts for Seniors. People can choose to help a senior obtain things they may need or want, and seniors can contact them to get assistance. They can also help you find local programs to refer you to that may be able to do the same. To get more information and contact them for assistance, click here.
