‘Tis the season for giving, and whether you’re getting free drinks or just some feel-good cheer, there are plenty of reasons to be generous this month. Here are just a few local organizations offering means to help others out this season.
Holiday spirits take on a double meaning with Torch’s Toys for Tots Tuesdays. Any Tuesday until Christmas, bring in a Toys for Tots donation and get a free drink. You’ll need to bring a print-out of the Toys for Tots Eventbrite ticket as well, which you can access here.
View and take home some art, and help kids in need with the return of Presents from Punks, held at Mellow Mushroom. Led by local artists SHT! and Badjon, this art show/toy drive features works for purchase with an unbeatable $50 or less price-tag. All proceeds from the art go toward Toys for Tots.
Get rid of that old sports equipment in the garage and donate it to Air & Earth via their 13 Days of Xmas (which actually runs from Dec. 1-20) toy drive. The sports center is accepting used equipment for ground, water, snow, and team sports. Unopened board games and school supplies are also accepted. All donors receive a $5 gift card.
Wonder Works takes the toy drive to Web 2.0 via their Facebook FunRaiser. From Dec. 1-7, the store will donate one toy to MUSC Children’s Hospital’s Happy Wheels for each person that “likes” the Wonder Works Facebook page. The store’s goal is 7,000 toys.
Sponsor a child’s Christmas by becoming a Charleston Elf. The organization supports financially-disadvantaged children with cancer or siblings of children with cancer. Sponsors choose a child and purchase gifts for the child from his or her wishlist. Bambu Asian Bistro holds the gift-wrapping party for sponsors Dec. 10. Visit charlestonelves.com for registration.
Similarly, East Cooper Community Outreach Santa’s Closet returns, allowing East Cooper residents to adopt a family. Residents can choose a family via the ECCO website. Drop off dates run from Dec. 11-18.
BI-LO’s Holiday Hunger Relief Program runs until Dec. 28. Customers can spend an extra $5 to donate a box of groceries to families in need. Each box contains food for at least three meals. Donations made in the Greater Charleston area go to Lowcountry Food Bank and East Cooper Community Outreach.
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