Giving Back During the Holiday Season

December 14, 2006 – During the colder days of winter and especially around the holidays, most of us have extra compassion for those in need. NeighborWorks organizations across the country help people in need all year long. Recently, the youth pictured here, residents at a property managed by Neighborhood Housing Services of Boise, Idaho, received hats knitted and crocheted by caring older persons in a retired seniors volunteer program. Children in the NHS Homeward Bound program serving homeless families also got hats from the volunteers.

Children living at NHS’ Northwest Pointe Apartments wearing their new hats.

Children living at apartments managed by Neighborhood Housing Services of Boise Idaho were thrilled to receive new hats for the holidays.

The homeless are those who are perhaps most in need. Emergency shelter and transitional housing programs are run by at least a dozen NeighborWorks chartered members in addition to NHS of Boise, such as the Primavera Foundation in Tucson, Arizona; The IMPACT! Group in Duluth, Georgia; the Tejano Center for Community Concerns in Houston, Texas; and Hudson River Housing in Poughkeepsie, New York.

Whether a family is homeless or near-homeless with very low income, the holiday season can be especially challenging. It is generally colder and expectations built up over a lifetime about holidays can cause extra stress. Keeping this in mind, many NeighborWorks organizations carry out special holiday activities. Usually there are other organizations in the community that are also addressing holiday needs and partnerships are easily forged. For example, faith based organizations throughout the country run adopt-a-family programs during the holidays, and often seek out residents in transitional or low-income housing through a NeighborWorks organization.

A group of youths running a toy collection

The NeighborWorks HomeOwnership Center of Sacramento worked with a local youth group ranging in age from 8 to 18 years old, Hand in Hand in our Community, to bring toys to needy families in the Oak Park neighborhood.

Other holiday activities being carried out by NeighborWorks organizations include toy drives, holiday treats in regular meals-on-wheels programs, and holiday parties in low-income multi-family apartment complexes. In Christianburg, Virginia, Community Housing Partners helped children from one of their affordable housing units collect teddy bears for children at a local hospital. Frontier Housing of Morehead, Kentucky, sold Christmas trees and collected enough funds to provide food vouchers all year to their food program participants. All of these programs encourage independence and self-sufficiency, promoting self respect and the confidence to overcome obstacles.

Remembering the needy during the holidays and when it’s especially cold outside is a good practice. Helping people help themselves all year long is even better. The organizations referred to in this article share on their Web sites just some of the many ways to creatively help others all year long. Happy 2007!