Why do people give to charities during the holidays in Wichita? Several volunteers share why they give, and several people who have received holiday help share how it affected their lives.
Tell us:
Which charities do you support during the holidays? Do you give your time, your money, or some other kind of support?
Have you ever received holiday help? Was the assistance what you needed? What did you think of the experience?
Share your story with us on our Facebook page.
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Some of the organizations interviewed for this piece:
The Salvation Army in Wichita: offers help during the holidays, and year-round assistance with food, clothing, and shelter, as well as veterans services and disaster relief.
Newman University Service Learning: Service is a big component of life at Newman University in Wichita. All faculty, staff, and students put in volunteer hours each year as part of the school's focus on service learning.
Operation Holiday: administered by Inter-Faith Ministries in Wichita, Operation Holiday provides food, fresh food vouchers, winter clothing, and blankets to families in need. Operation Holiday's Teen to Teen program and partnership with Toys for Tots also provides a toy or holiday gift for children up to age 17.
Alternative Gifts International: based in Wichita, KS, AGI holds "alternative gift markets" nation-wide which allow holiday shoppers to buy gifts that support adequate food, clothing, shelter and health--both in the shopper's local community and world-wide. The gift recipient receives a card explains the project for which the giver has made a donation in their honor.