It’s the season of giving, and in that spirit, we’ve rounded up a list of ways to get involved and make a difference in the community for the holidays.
Boca Helping Hands
Boca Helping Hands (BHH) is once again hosting its Thanksgiving Box Brigade to provide Thanksgiving meals to families in need. A donation of $29.72 will ensure a family can enjoy a turkey dinner, and BHH is also seeking community support in distributing the boxes. Boca Helping Hands estimates that this year’s holiday drive will feed more than 14,000 people. Boxes will be distributed the weekend before Thanksgiving (Nov. 23 and 24) at its five drive-thru distribution locations in east Boca Raton, west Boca, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach and Lake Worth Beach. Click here to learn more and donate.
Achievement Centers for Children & Families
This holiday season, help put gifts under the tree of underserved local kids through the Achievement Centers for Children & Families’ (ACCF) annual holiday toy drive, and help students reach their full potential through the ACCF’s Adopt-A-Class and Adopt-A-Program opportunities.
A one-time $1,500 donation to the ACCF’s Adopt-A-Class program ensures that a classroom will be stocked with supplies to help local students succeed. Donors will receive a personalized thank-you note and video from the classroom they sponsor and will be offered an invitation to visit the adopted class. Classroom sponsors will also receive invitations to special events, like a 30-minute holiday party to meet students, as well as an honorary plaque in the classroom and quarterly updates on the sponsored class.
Another opportunity for the community to support the ACCF’s mission of helping underserved children reach their potential is through the organization’s Adopt-A-Program initiative, where donations benefit the Platinum Steppers and Drum Line programs which promote teamwork, leadership and respect.
The ACCF has also opened donations for its holiday toy drive. Here are the drop-off locations where toy donations can be made: A Little Wyld & Perna, American Heritage, Andie DeVoe LLC, Bella Mar Delray Beach, Death by Pizza, Delfina Pilates, Lang Realty – Amy & Noreen Team, Northern Trust, Purlife, SOFA, Worthing Place, Vincent’s Hairstyling for Women & Men, and Young Dentistry.
To make a donation to the ACCF’s Adopt-A-Program or Adopt-A-Class initiatives, click here.
Jack the Bike Man
Help put a bicycle under the tree of a local child with a donation to this West Palm Beach-based bicycle shop. Each year, Jack the Bike Man donates thousands of bicycles each year, and the community can get involved by purchasing a bicycle and dropping it off or shipping it to the store’s West Palm location. They’re currently looking specifically for bikes sized 12″, 14″, 16″, 18″, 20″ and 24″, which can be purchased from Walmart for as little as $50. To learn more about Jack the Bike Man, click here.
Town of Palm Beach United Way
This Palm Beach-based organization is partnering up with fellow local nonprofits for its 31st annual Holiday Toy Drive. Now through Dec. 1, help put gifts under the tree of underprivileged Palm Beach County kids by bringing new, unwrapped toys to any of the following drop-off locations:
United Way Office | 44 Cocoanut Row
(inside the Palm Beach Towers—valet parking/drop-off available)
Central Fire Station | 355 S. County Road
South Fire Station | 2185 S. Ocean Blvd.
Capehart Photography | 234 S. County Road
Field of Greens | 412 Clematis St.
Field of Greens | 4802 S. Dixie Highway
Field of Greens | Palm Beach location
Donated toys will benefit clients of Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse, American Association of Caregiving Youth, Center for Child Counseling, El Sol and Take Stock in Children. For more information, click here.
Spirit of Giving
In collaboration with a network of more than 70 local nonprofits, Spirit of Giving hosts one of the largest toy drives in the county, with several different ways of supporting:
Gift Donations
Donate a gift (or gifts) to one or more children at one of Spirit of Giving’s drop-off locations. Donations should have a value of about $30 and be unwrapped. For more details, click here.
Amazon Wishlist Shopping
Skip the trip to the store and order a gift directly from Spirit of Giving’s Amazon wishlist.
Gift Collection
Set up one of Spirit of Giving’s gift collection boxes at your workplace for coworkers to donate new, unwrapped gifts.
Volunteer
There’s always room for donations of time. Click here to sign up for volunteer shifts counting and sorting gifts.
Make a Monetary Donation
Let Spirit of Giving handle the shopping for you by donating cash or a gift card. Donations can be made here.
Palm Beach County Food Bank
The Palm Beach County Food Bank (PBCFB) is hosting its annual Project Thanksgiving to put Thanksgiving meals on the tables of more than 170,000 local residents in need. Now through Nov. 11, donate $15 to the PBCFB to go toward providing Thanksgiving side dishes to families of four to six. The PBCFB is also accepting canned and boxed food donations. Then, on Nov. 13, the PBCFB is hosting its one-day Thanksgiving Fill-a-Truck food drive. Items from the food bank’s list of Thanksgiving items can be donated from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 4295 45th St., West Palm Beach. For information about drop-off locations and foods to donate, click here.
The PBCFB will also be hosting its Gift of Hope Food Drive to help struggling families put food on the table through December. Donations can be made to the food bank’s Lake Worth Beach location at 701 Boutwell Road, Suite A-2.
There’s sure to be a few that we missed, so if you’re part of a nonprofit that is hosting holiday drives and are not mentioned on this list, please reach out to tyler@bocamag.com.
B Kind for the Holidays
South Florida-based nonprofit B the Difference is hosting its annual B Kind for the Holidays program to raise funds for families struggling with neurofibromatosis, a genetic disorder that affects the nervous system. From Thanksgiving (Nov. 28) to New Year’s Day, supporters can sponsor a B the Difference family with a $500 donation that will go toward that family’s holiday expenses, from food to gifts. This year, the nonprofit is hoping to support at least 35 families. To learn more about the B Kind for the Holidays program and to donate, click here.
Deck The Volleyballs
The Ann Storck Center, a nonprofit dedicated to providing care to children and adults with developmental disabilities, is hosting its “Deck the Volleyballs” tournament to raise funds for holidays gifts for children and adults serviced by the center. Get together a co-ed team of four and hit the sand at Pompano Beach on Dec. 21 for the volleyball tournament, as well as a raffle, prizes, lunch, and more. For more information, click here.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade
A holiday tradition for more than 50 years, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade is once again inviting the community to deck the halls of their home for a good cause with the return of its Christmas Tree Lot. Located at the nonprofit’s Hank Kline Club, the lot opens on Nov. 25 and lasts until all of its Christmas trees are sold. Trees start at $65, and poinsettias will also be available for $15. The proceeds from the tree lot will go toward the clubs various programs servicing Miami-Dade youths. The Boys & Girls Clubs are also offering the opportunity to make a difference in a child’s life through its sponsorship program. For more details, click here.
Feeding South Florida
This holiday season, make a difference in your community by starting a Food and Fund Drive through Feeding South Florida. Get together your family or coworkers and collect non-perishable food items and donations to be distributed by Feeding South Florida. For more details on launching your own drive, click here. Feeding South Florida is also seeking volunteers to cover shifts sorting, packaging, and preparing meals. For volunteer opportunities, click here.
23rd Annual Stiles Light Up Downtown
The Friends of Jack & Jill Center, a support group for the Jack & Jill Center, is hosting its annual Stiles Light Up Downtown event on Dec. 3 to raise funds toward the nonprofit’s mission of strengthening families through education and support programming and community engagement. Hosted at The Plaza on Las Olas, guests can enjoy unlimited cocktails, light bites, live entertainment and more, culminating with the lighting of the 30-foot Christmas tree in downtown Fort Lauderdale. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.
Digital Vibez
Digital Vibez’ signature holiday event, Jingle Jamz, returns to deliver gifts to underserved children across Palm Beach County. The West Palm Beach-based nonprofit aims to make this holiday their biggest give-back initiative yet, with its Digital Vibez Bus decked out in holiday lights and decor delivering presents to five local elementary schools and more areas than ever before. Here’s how you can get involved:
Donate: A donation of $50 provides 3 gifts; $100 provides 6 gifts. Donations can be made here.
Host a Wrapping Party: Organize a wrapping event at your office with supplies provided by Digital Vibez. Sign up here.
Shop the Amazon Wish List: Purchase gifts from the Digital Vibez wish list and ship them directly. Find the wish list here.
Drop Off Gifts: Deliver unwrapped gifts to any of these locations weekdays, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., through Dec. 13:
Extraordinary Charities: 2635 Old Okeechobee Road, West Palm Beach
Palm Beach County Youth Services: 50 S. Military Trail, West Palm Beach
City Habitat for Humanity ReStore: 4639 Lake Worth Road, Greenacres
Emanuel Jackson Sr. Project Inc.: 3300A S. Seacrest Blvd., Boynton Beach
