Creative Charitable Giving

When we think about charitable giving many of us think about money donations. However, there are so many other ways to give if giving a cash donation is not an option for you. Many family members have to face the settlement of an estate upon the death of a parent or a grandparent. Many times that parent owns a car that may not be of significant value to the family but would be of great value to someone in need of a car. There are many local non-profits that will take the car as a donation and match it with someone within your community that is need of a car.

There are many people within this community who have lost their homes and have lived in temporary housing or even a shelter for some time and now have the opportunity through local assistance to move back into home or an apartment. Many of those families do not have the basic supplies such as bedding, dishes, pots and pans or any of the things so many of us take for granted. When cleaning out a parents or grandparents house at the time of death or if they are being moved into assisted living or a nursing home, consider donating these items to a local charity instead of forcing the family through a tedious garage sale.

When cleaning out that house you may also find many boxed and/or canned items in the pantry that are difficult to transport or many family members do not wish to sort through. Before you throw those in the trash, consider boxing them up and transporting to your local food bank. When it comes to giving there are many creative ways to help people within your community who are in need. Someday, you may find yourself in need and wouldn’t it be nice to know that you gave at one point and the favor can be returned.

For local donation of clothing contact Molly Peterson at molly@housingresourceinc.org

For local donations of a house or a car contact Joanna Dales at the Kalamazoo County Community Foundation at jdales@kalfound.org

These are just some of the many non-profits in our area that are in need of items.