How to Get Christmas Help for Low Income Families

Christmas help for low income families is available from a variety of sources. If a family is having trouble making ends met or can't afford even the simplest of holiday celebrations, there are many civic organizations, charitable groups and individuals who will step forward to help ensure Christmas help for low income families. The holidays are traditionally a time of giving, and giving to those most in need brings others joy. Here's how to get Christmas help for low income families.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Contact local charities and civic organizations to find out about their outreach to the needy during Christmastime. Catholic Charities offers help to the needy year round, with extra food baskets, toys and emergency assistance during the holidays. Christmas help for low income families might be as close as the local Catholic Charities or other nearby civic charity office.

2. 
   Salvation Army

   Find out if there is a Salvation Army in your area. The Salvation Army will often help with toy vouchers, food, clothing vouchers and other means. Their classic bell ringers collect donations to help the needy, and they put these donations to good use providing Christmas help for low income families.

3. 
   Churches

   Inquire at your church, asking the pastor or community outreach coordinator about receiving assistance for your family or a needy family you know. If your church is collecting food items or toys for Christmas giving, ask if you qualify to be a recipient.

4. Explore area churches, especially those in wealthier neighborhoods, for additional assistance in providing holiday gifts, winter clothing, jackets and food for your family. Many religious congregations have committees organized to help coordinate Christmas help for low income families.

5. 
   Utility help

   Ask the utility company for information about winter assistance with heating and electric bills. Find out what programs they refer needy families to in order to receive assistance keeping the electricity on.

6. 
   Christmas toy drive

   Keep an eye out for local toy drives and food drives. Contact the coordinators about the needy family you are helping, to find out if there is extra for them.

7. 
   Basket of bread

   Look up your local food bank and find out the requirements to receive food and produce through them, and if they have extra food baskets during the holidays to help provide Christmas help for low income families.

8. 
   Friends help

   Accept offers from family and friends to help out in your time of need. That's what friends and family are for--to help each other through the rough times, together.

Tips & Warnings

• Find someone less fortunate than yourselves with whom to share your Christmas blessings and you will find yourself doubly blessed.
• Let the poor in your area know about Christmas help for low income families.

[surrealgray1]

on 11/22/2009 My daughter has under-went a horrific time in her

life; and she is on low-income for the time being.

She is in college has four kids and helps others. She

will not be able to buy her kids toys this year. And

I am not finacially able to help her; So if she can

get some assistance or be adopted this year I would be

so happy for her and her children.



Thank you
Rosalind Gray

[surrealgray1]

on 11/22/2009 y daughter has under-went a horrific time in her

life; and she is on low-income for the time being.

She is in college has four kids and helps others. She

will not be able to buy her kids toys this year. And

I am not finacially able to help her; So if she can

get some assistance or be adopted this year I would be

so happy for her and her children.



Thank you
Rosalind Gray

[miknjoy]

on 11/21/2009 Talk about a Blessing! I posted a couple comments just yesterday and someone who knows us from this area contacted me about helping restore his computer! I met up with him today and 2 hours later, WAALAA! Got him all fixed up and made $50 I didn't have yesterday! Not only that, but he's telling everyone he knows about us and it sounds like I may just have found some great freelance computer work! Praise God!

[miknjoy]

on 11/20/2009 (cont. from below comment) wanted others to know that you don't need a tree or a turkey and all the fixin's and presents to be grateful. I'm so grateful for my wife still being with me and I'll be with her as long as I'm able. We're hoping as the kids all get older, maybe they'll come back to us...but with all the pain and anger, it seems highly unlikely. ouch! What a drag. Anyway...we're just chilling in our home, thankful FOR that home and learning to enjoy life's simple pleasures. May those of you having difficulties come to peace in your situations. We wish it could be different for all of us, regardless of each of our difficulties. God Bless!

Mike & Joy
Northeast Iowa

[miknjoy]

on 11/20/2009 My wife was in a terrible car accident in 2001 that left her in a coma for 3 weeks and after she 'came back,' she had suffered a permanent traumatic brain injury. Our kids were 11-16 and over the next 4 years, they all moved in with other family because of how difficult it was at our home. Now my wife and I live alone, but were extremely blessed with a Habitat For Humanity home in NE Iowa. I care for my wife 100% of the time and we do get disability income for her and that thankfully makes the house and utility payments, but that's about it. We've always been tithers in church (before the accident) and volunteered a lot around the holidays through our employment. All those days seem so long ago. Now, we're basically family outcasts as a family member caused this bad accident and now we're just the two of us and our dog and two cats. We're not asking for anything here. We just...