The holidays are not always a happy time for families. Many people are struggling due to an illness, a job loss or other life changing event.
If you would like to give back this holiday season, here are a few local organizations that would love your help making sure families have a brighter Christmas.
There are many opportunities to volunteer, donate and give back to the community. See our list of Local Nonprofits in Cumming, GA list as well.
Angels Over Forsyth
Sponsor a child who is in foster care this Christmas. This effort is coordinated by Angels Over Forsyth, a community-driven, volunteer program which ensures these children have the best Christmas possible. As the holiday season nears, Angels Over Forsyth is seeking assistance in making Christmas and the Holiday season brighter for foster children and families in need living in our community. We are in need of persons who can sponsor a child in need. We are asking that sponsors spend approximately $150.00 per child. Find out more information on the Angels Over Forsyth website. CASA and DFCS provide wish lists for children through Angels Over Forsyth.
Donate Canned Food to a Local Food Pantry
If you want to give regularly, sign up for Food for Thought Project. Fill your grocery cart with a few extra items each visit and fill the orange bag. On the pickup date which is a few times a year, simply place the orange bag on your porch by 9:00 am and it will be distributed to many local area food pantries. Volunteers are also needed to pick up donation bags as well as distribute canned goods from the warehouse to the local pantries.
Forsyth Fire Begins Aerial’s House Toy Collection for Needy Children in November
New, unwrapped toys for any age may be dropped off beginning Monday, November 9 and through Friday, December 11, at Forsyth County fire stations, the Fire Department Headquarters located at 3520 Settingdown Road, or any of the county’s four library branches. Beginning in December and continuing through December 11, toys for Aerial’s House may also be dropped off under the Christmas tree in the lobby of the Forsyth County Administration Building, located at 110 East Main Street in downtown Cumming. To receive information regarding the distribution of toys collected through Aerial’s House, call The Place of Forsyth County at (770) 887-1098.
Give the Gift of Meals to Local Seniors This Holiday Season
Senior Services offers Home-Delivered Meals Gift Certificate Program
Help brighten the holiday season for Forsyth County homebound senior citizens by participating in the 2015 Home-Delivered Meals Holiday Gift Certificate Program. Meals purchased with a holiday gift certificate through Forsyth County Senior Services will be delivered through the Meals on Wheels program.
“The demand for our Meals on Wheels program continues to increase, and the cost of the meals continues to rise as well,” Senior Services Director Judy Theilman. “Forsyth County Senior Services is very appreciative of the generous support this program receives each year – it truly makes a difference in the lives of community’s homebound seniors.”
Those interested in participating may choose to provide meals for a day, week, month or year. The cost is $3.68 for one day, $18.40 for one week, $80.96 for one month, and $956.80 for the entire year. Gifts may be tax-deductible.
Checks should be made payable to Forsyth County Senior Services, Holiday Gift Certificate Program and may be mailed or delivered to the following address:
Forsyth County Senior Services
7305 Lanier Drive
Cumming, GA 30041
All meals delivered from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day will include a special certificate to wish happy holidays from the meal provider. Senior Services has set a goal of delivering 4,000 meals to local senior citizens this holiday season.
For more information about this program, please call Forsyth County Senior Services at (770) 781-2178.
Senior Services Seeks Holiday Gift Angels for Community’s Senior Citizens
Annual Program helps bring holiday cheer to local seniors
Forsyth County Senior Services invites everyone to be a holiday angel to a local senior citizen in need by participating in the 2015 Holiday Gift Angels Program. “The Holiday Gift Angels Program is an annual program coordinated by Forsyth County Senior Services,” said Senior Services Director Judy Theilman. “It reminds our senior citizens that someone is thinking about them during the holiday season and really does have a tremendous positive impact on our seniors.”
Being a holiday angel is easy. The first step is to pick up a gift request tag for a senior citizen. The gift request tags are available now and can be picked up at the following Forsyth County Senior Services locations:
- Center at Charles Place, 595 Dahlonega Street
open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. - Sexton Hall Enrichment Center, 2115 Chloe Road
open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. - Hearthstone Lodge Community Center, 7305 Lanier Drive
open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Each gift request tag contains the name of a local senior citizen along with a gift idea for him/her. Those participating in the program may deliver the unwrapped gift in a gift bag with the gift request tag (or another tag with the senior’s name and route number) attached to any of the three Forsyth County Senior Services locations weekdays by November 30.
Call Forsyth County Senior Services at (770) 781-2178 to receive additional information about the 2015 Holiday Gift Angels Program.
