The Gift of Giving: 13 Ways You Can Give Back This Christmas

As we gather with our families, put up our holiday decorations, and give thanks for all of the blessings in our lives, we are also reminded of all of those who are struggling this season. 

Here at Simple Box, we’ve worked hard to make sure that we give back to the communities that have welcomed us. Here are charities that we love and support and some ways that you can give back, too. After all, sometimes the best gift is the one that you give to someone in need.

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Godwill Ministries

GodWill Ministries began as one woman’s project to fund her missions trips abroad. However, as her small yard sale gained traction each year, she realized that she could use it for more. Beyond supporting her missions services, her small yard sale grew until she began earning enough money to buy shoes for remote villagers in Africa, chickens for struggling women in Kampala, life-saving surgeries, and more. Now, GodWill exists as an on-going yard sale project culminating into one huge yard sale the first Saturday in May of every year.
Godwill Ministries

How Simple Box helps: We provide a container for donated items that are sold at Godwill sales throughout the year.

How you can help: Donate your used items to GodWill Ministries, provide a financial gift, or attend one of their yard sales.

Missions Network

Many families in the Baja of Mexico are struggling. Due to alcoholism, drug use, or financial struggles, many children of impoverished families lack access to education, shelter, food, and other basic needs. Missions Network, a non-denominational Christian non-profit, works hard to provide worldly goods that these families desperately need and outreach to help build relationships within the community and keep families together. How Simple Box helps: We help a children’s village by providing a home and support for orphans. How you can help: Get involved by joining a trip or project, donating goods such as soap, toothpaste, and other items, providing a monetary gift, or shopping through the Amazon Smiles program.

CTK Sudden Valley

Christ the King Community Church provides a number of services and charities for members throughout the Bellingham community. Ongoing services include community cleanup, food donation, working with local food banks, and more. They also conduct holiday projects such as providing Christmas gifts for the homeless and setting up programs that allow families to adopt victims of sexual trafficking over the holiday season. How Simple Box helps: We donate a container to hold school supplies and other much-needed donated items to single parents and struggling families. How you can help: CTK Sudden Valley offers many opportunities for members of the community to give their time, resources, or a simple donation. Visit their site for more information.

The Suubi Foundation

In Ugandan, suubi means hope, and that’s exactly what The Suubi Foundation intends to provide. Through sponsorship programs, The Suubi Foundation provides aid to single mothers and children who are struggling in Kampala, Uganda.
Suubi foundation

How Simple Box helps: We provide food, shelter, and ongoing support through The Suubi Foundation’s sponsorship program.

How you can help: For an easy, one-time gift of $140, you can also support a child in need and help them to accomplish their dreams.

Naomi’s Hope

Naomi’s Hope exists to help women and children in crisis. Many women find themselves in tragic situations, whether they are a single parent, fleeing an abusive situation, or simply find themselves struggling with no place to go. Naomi’s Hope offers emotional, physical, and spiritual hope to those who need support to restart their lives. Naomi’s Hope goes beyond simply providing a safe place and offering programs to help women get back on their feet and live their best lives.

How Simple Box helps: We donate a container to hold donations that will go to help women and children in need in the Kittitas Valley.

How you can help: Visit their website for volunteer opportunities and donation locations.

The Kitale Project

In Kenya, thousands of children live in the streets and in other unsafe environments. The Kitale Project believes that every child deserves a safe, loving home where they can enjoy a happy childhood. They use a carefully-crafted program that successfully reunited 1,800 street children in Kisumu with their extended families. Since the rehabilitation, the children of Kisumu now have the opportunity to lead safe and happy lives. The Kitale Project strives to take this same method to Kitale, Kenya, to save thousands more. How Simple Box helps: We donate funds to help this revolutionary program. How you can help: Give a one-time donation or set up ongoing giving.

Envision Mission

Envision Mission began as a safe place for Christians to meet and share their faith within the busy-ness of American culture and has since grown to include many small groups throughout Bellingham. As part of their mission, they provide food, shelter, and care to the “untouchables” of India, men and women so low on the social scale that they are deemed to be untouchable by other members of society. They strive to bring the love and community that they enjoy as part of Envision to those who have been denied such things because of their social standing. How Simple Box helps: We helped purchase a van for food distribution to the “untouchables” of India. How you can help: Envision Mission accepts donations for this service as well as other services they provide within the local community.

Kidstown International

Kidstown International works to build homes for orphans in India, Nepal, and Romania so that they will have a safe place to live and enjoy the love, compassion, and resources that they need to lead happy and fulfilling lives. Children who have been supported by Kidstown International grow up to contribute positively to their communities, find employment that can support a family, and experience spiritual growth that many children in similar situations never receive. How Simple Box helps: We donate funds to assist orphans in India and Nepal. How you can help: You can help by sponsoring a child, donating to a specific project, or giving towards educational expenses.

Feed The North

The people of North Korea often suffer food shortages and famine. Feed the North provides farming methods and resources to help North Koreans produce their own food and avoid all-too-common starvation. Through hydroponics (the growing of produce without soil) and the raising of tilapia (a fish that’s easy to raise and high in important nutrients), Feed the North has grown farms that produce large amounts of food in a sustainable environment that uses little of North Korea’s precious resources. How Simple Box helps: We donated a container to be converted into an aquaponics unit to help with farming efforts. How you can help: You can support this project through monetary donations, purchasing items through Amazon Smile, or by volunteering your time.

New Generation Haiti

New Generation Haiti emulates the philosophy that true aid finds success when you teach others to take care of themselves. Through their efforts, they built a medical clinic with local doctors and nurses to keep it running, supported schools in order to help build an educated next generation, and continue to drill wells to provide communities with clean water.  How Simple Box helps: We provide support to help their endeavors in education, food and shelter for orphans, and clean water. How you can help: New Generation Haiti accepts donations through PayPal.

Habitat for Humanity

Known nationwide for its charitable efforts, Habitat for Humanity works around the world to build homes for those less fortunate. Those who receive the homes work alongside volunteers to help with construction, and they pay an affordable mortgage so that they can become eventual homeowners. Habitat for Humanity goes beyond charity and empowers their recipients by providing an opportunity to help create their new home. How Simple Box helps: We donate containers for Habitat Community builds throughout the northwest. A container on a job site helps keep construction materials and donated building supplies secure. How you can help: You can donate your time on a construction build. The Skagit Habitat Store is also looking for volunteers. The store sells used furniture, housewares, and other appliances so that Habitat for Humanity recipients can fill their new home once it’s finished. In addition, they accept monetary donations, or you can give while you shop through Amazon Smile or Fred Meyer Community Rewards.

Gift of Grub

For an immediate giving opportunity, Cornwall Church will be accepting non-perishable food donations for their annual Gift of Grub drive. All collected food will be given away to local food shelters. During the Christmas season when food is such an important cultural piece of celebration, it is so important to give to those less fortunate so that they, too, can take a day, celebrate, and forget their troubles. Help fill a family’s table this Christmas season. How Simple Box helps: We provide a container that is used to collect donated items for this annual Food Drive. How you can help: Donate non-perishable food items to Cornwall Church. You can also sign up to help collect food on December 15th and 16th and at Cornwall’s Christmas Eve services.
The gift of giving

Christmas Coat Drive for Kids

We believe that the best way to give is to take proactive action, which is why we host our own annual charity: the Christmas Coat Drive for Kids. Too often, underprivileged children of the community are sent to school during the cold winter months without a coat. We plan to rectify that. We work with the YMCA to ensure that the coats get into the right hands. Last year, we were able to give 177 coats to children in need. This year, help us give 300! We will be accepting donations now through December 14th. How you can help: Donate your gently used winter clothes and bring them to a Simple Box location or to your Simple Box delivery driver. To thank you for your donation, you will be entered into a drawing for several door prizes, including movie passes and restaurant gift certificates.
The gift of giving

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