Help for poor/needy kids this Christmas

[Helen Dempster]

Hi all - hope you're all wrapped up nice and warm...I'm soooo c-c-c-cold! And haven't even got snow to show for it!

Anyway, I really want to do something for poor kiddies this Christmas, deliver gifts. Obviously this isn't something I'm just going to do myself, but do you know of any companies that do such a thing - do SureStart Centres do this, do you know? I thought it would be a good idea to take my own son with me (4yo) or do you think that's a bit of a silly idea? I know he'd love giving out presents and it would open up a whole load of questions from him about why they don't have the things he/we have and maybe make him appreciate things a little better??

:thumbsup:

[donnawalsh123]

i remember when i was a nipper the local arndale center used to have a huge christmas tree that was roped off and people used to place presents and toys and what have you under for the poor children. i always thought it was run by the local council for children in care.

standing there as a kid looking at some of the toys under the tree id wish i was a poor kid.

around here i know the local roundtable go around the streets with a sliegh collecting for childrens partys.

you could also try your local football club as the players generally visit the childrens wards at local hospitals around christmas.

[Erika]

Type "Christmas Toy Appeal" followed by your town into google. Most areas do this, ours is known as "cash for kids (http://www.cashforkids.uk.com/)". covers Scotland, England and Ireland. Also, the Salvation Army (http://www1.salvationarmy.org.uk/christmaspresent) does toy appeals. Toy appeals involve either donating money or buying a gift and bringing it to the proprietor of a local business or library who forwards it on to the organisers. The organisers wrap the gifts and they are forwarded on to children who otherwise would wake up to nothing on Christmas morning.

I think you'll be hard pressed to find a place where your son could actually hand out the presents. Most of these appeals are done anonymously because the receiving children think (like most other kids) that their gifts are coming from Santa, and know nothing of their origins, not even seeing them until they wake up on Christmas morning.

[Polly2]

Womens Aid do a similar thing in my area :thumbsup:

[Twinkles]

Try 'wellcare' too they help needy families with children with clothes, equipment and toys all year round.