Seasonal & Holidays
Chicago Area 2018 Holiday Volunteer Opportunities
Looking to give back this holiday season? Here's where you can do just that.
The holiday season is officially underway. And while presents and shopping are on many people's minds, the holidays are also about being thankful for what you already have. And giving back to those struggling the most.
For those looking for volunteer and donation opportunities in the area, this online Charity Naviagor tool could help. Charity Navigator ranks charities by evaluating financial health and accountability and transparency. The ratings are meant to show donors how efficiently a charity will use their support, how well it has sustained its programs and services over time, and their level of commitment to accountability and transparency.
Charity Navigator’s highest rating is four stars. Here are some Chicago-area charities that have received that rating and that you may consider supporting this holiday season:
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Anderson Animal Shelter
- MISSION: A humane society
- LOCATION: South Elgin, IL
- CATEGORY: Animals
- CAUSE : Animal Rights, Welfare and Services
Animal Welfare League
- MISSION: Chicagoland's largest humane society
- LOCATION: Chicago Ridge, IL
- CATEGORY: Animals
- CAUSE : Animal Rights, Welfare and Services
Angelman Syndrome Foundation
- MISSION: I may not speak, but I have much to say
- LOCATION: Aurora, IL
- CATEGORY: Health
- CAUSE : Diseases, Disorders and Disciplines
Barnabas Foundation
- MISSION: Growing Generosity
- LOCATION: Crete, IL
- CATEGORY: Community Development
- CAUSE : Community Foundations
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago
- MISSION: Start Something
- LOCATION: Chicago, IL
- CATEGORY: Human Services
- CAUSE : Youth Development, Shelter and Crisis Services
Bridge Communities
- MISSION: Connecting homeless families to a better future
- LOCATION: Glen Ellyn, IL
- CATEGORY: Human Services
- CAUSE : Homeless Services
Cancer Wellness Center
- MISSION: Helping people live better while living with cancer
- LOCATION: Northbrook, IL
- CATEGORY: Health
- CAUSE : Diseases, Disorders, and Disciplines
The Center for Enriched Living
- MISSION: A community of friends, a world of opportunities
- LOCATION: Riverwoods, IL
- CATEGORY: Human Services
- CAUSE : Social Services
Chicago Botanic Garden
- MISSION: Promoting the enjoyment, understanding, and conservation of plants and the natural world
- LOCATION: Glencoe, IL
- CATEGORY: Environment
- CAUSE : Botanical Gardens, Parks and Nature Centers
Chicago Coalition for the Homeless
- MISSION: Fighting for the human right to housing since 1980
- LOCATION: Chicago, IL
- CATEGORY: Human Services
- CAUSE : Homeless Services
Collision Repair Education Foundation
- MISSION: Fueling the future of the collision industry by enriching opportunities for students in collision education.
- LOCATION: Hoffman Estates, IL
- CATEGORY: Education
- CAUSE : Adult Education Programs and Services (Grantmaking)
Communities in Schools of Chicago
- MISSION: Ensuring that every public school student in Chicago graduates from high school prepared to succeed.
- LOCATION: Chicago, IL
- CATEGORY: Education
- CAUSE : Youth Education Programs and Services
Community Nurse Health Center
- MISSION: Supporting your Health Strengthening our Communities
- LOCATION: LaGrange, IL
- CATEGORY: Health
- CAUSE : Treatment and Prevention Services
Connections for Abused Women and their Children
- MISSION: Rebuilding Lives, Renewing Hope.
- LOCATION: Chicago, IL
- CATEGORY: Human Services
- CAUSE : Social Services
The Conservation Foundation
- MISSION: We save land. We save rivers.
- LOCATION: Naperville, IL
- CATEGORY: Environment
- CAUSE : Environmental Protection and Conservation
DuPage PADS
- MISSION: When someone believes in you, everything can change.
- LOCATION: Wheaton, IL
- CATEGORY: Human Services
- CAUSE : Homeless Services
Family Health Partnership Clinic
- MISSION: Serving McHenry County, Illinois Since 1996
- LOCATION: Crystal Lake, IL
- CATEGORY: Health
- CAUSE : Treatment and Prevention Services
Greater Chicago Food Depository
- MISSION: Providing food for hungry people while striving to end hunger in our community
- LOCATION: Chicago, IL
- CATEGORY: Human Services
- CAUSE : Food Banks, Food Pantries, and Food Distribution
Greater Joliet Area YMCA
- MISSION: Cultivate Character
- LOCATION: Joliet, IL
- CATEGORY: Human Services
- CAUSE : Multipurpose Human Service Organizations
Habitat for Humanity Lake County, IL
- MISSION: Building Homes. Building Community. Building Hope.
- LOCATION: Waukegan, IL
- CATEGORY: Community Development
- CAUSE : Housing and Neighborhood Development
Hadley Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired
- MISSION: Learning - for Life
- LOCATION: Winnetka, IL
- CATEGORY: Education
- CAUSE : Special Education
Hesed House
- MISSION: Because everyone deserves dignity.
- LOCATION: Aurora, IL
- CATEGORY: Human Services
- CAUSE : Homeless Services
Infant Welfare Society of Chicago
- MISSION: Family health center
- LOCATION: Chicago, IL
- CATEGORY: Health
- CAUSE : Treatment and Prevention Services
Lions Clubs International Foundation
- MISSION: We Care. We Serve. We Accomplish.
- LOCATION: Oak Brook, IL
- CATEGORY: Human Services
- CAUSE : Multipurpose Human Service Organizations (Grantmaking)
Loaves & Fishes Community Services
- MISSION: Ending hunger, transforming lives
- LOCATION: Naperville, IL
- CATEGORY: Human Services
- CAUSE : Food Banks, Food Pantries and Food Distribution
Main Stay Therapeutic Farm
- MISSION: Inspiring Unbridled Joy.
- LOCATION: Richmond, IL
- CATEGORY: Health
- CAUSE : Patient and Family Support
The Morton Arboretum
- MISSION: Growing a green legacy
- LOCATION: Lisle, IL
- CATEGORY: Environment
- CAUSE : Botanical Gardens, Parks, and Nature Centers
National Council of YMCAs of the USA
- MISSION: We build strong kids, strong families, strong communities
- LOCATION: Chicago, IL
- CATEGORY: Human Services
- CAUSE : Multipurpose Human Service Organizations
Northern Illinois Food Bank
- MISSION: Feeding our hungry neighbors
- LOCATION: Geneva, IL
- CATEGORY: Human Services
- CAUSE : Food Banks, Food Pantries and Food Distribution
One Acre Fund
- MISSION: Farmers First
- LOCATION: Highland Park, IL
- CATEGORY: International
- CAUSE : Development and Relief Services
Operation Support Our Troops - America
- MISSION: Providing comfort and care at home and away
- LOCATION: Naperville, IL
- CATEGORY: Human Services
- CAUSE : Social Services
PAWS Chicago
- MISSION: Pets are worth saving
- LOCATION: Chicago, IL
- CATEGORY: Animals
- CAUSE : Animal Rights, Welfare, and Services
People's Resource Center
- MISSION: Meeting our community needs - neighbor to neighbor
- LOCATION: Wheaton, IL
- CATEGORY: Human Services
- CAUSE : Social Services
Prevent Child Abuse America
- MISSION: Preventing the abuse and neglect of our nation's children
- LOCATION: Chicago, IL
- CATEGORY: Human Services
- CAUSE : Children's and Family Services
Resourcing Christian Education International
- MISSION: Striving to make your ministry a success for the Kingdom of God
- LOCATION: Wheaton, IL
- CATEGORY: Religion
- CAUSE : Religious Activities
Restoration Ministries
- MISSION: Restoring people, rebuilding communities
- LOCATION: Harvey, IL
- CATEGORY: Human Services
- CAUSE : Homeless Services
Ronald McDonald House Charities
- MISSION: Improving the health and well being of children
- LOCATION: Oak Brook, IL
- CATEGORY: Health
- CAUSE : Patient and Family Support (Grantmaking)
The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International
- MISSION: Enabling Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace
- LOCATION: Evanston, IL
- CATEGORY: International
- CAUSE : International Peace, Security and Affairs (Grantmaking)
Save-A-Pet Adoption Center
- MISSION: Finding loving, quality homes for each cat and dog in our care
- LOCATION: Grayslake, IL
- CATEGORY: Animals
- CAUSE : Animal Rights, Welfare, and Services
Sharing Connections
- MISSION: We furnish hope.
- LOCATION: Downers Grove, IL
- CATEGORY: Human Services
- CAUSE : Social Services
Teen Parent Connection
- MISSION: Empowering Young Families: Our Legacy, Our Future
- LOCATION: Glen Ellyn, IL
- CATEGORY: Human Services
- CAUSE : Children's and Family Services
Turning Pointe Autism Foundation
- MISSION: Managing the challenges faced by children with autism
- LOCATION: Naperville, IL
- CATEGORY: Health
- CAUSE : Patient and Family Support
United Way of Lake County, IL
- MISSION: Education Changes Everything
- LOCATION: Gurnee, IL
- CATEGORY: Community Development
- CAUSE : United Ways (Grantmaking)
United Way of Will County
- MISSION: Live united
- LOCATION: Joliet, IL
- CATEGORY: Community Development
- CAUSE : United Ways (Grantmaking)
WINGS Program, Inc.
- MISSION: Breaking the Cycle of Domestic Violence
- LOCATION: Palatine, IL
- CATEGORY: Human Services
- CAUSE : Homeless Services
Youth & Opportunity United
- LOCATION: Evanston, IL
- CATEGORY: Human Services
- CAUSE : Youth Development, Shelter, and Crisis Services
YWCA Evanston/North Shore
- MISSION: Eliminating racism. Empowering women.
- LOCATION: Evanston, IL
- CATEGORY: Human Services
- CAUSE : Multipurpose Human Service Organizations
While many sit down to celebrate over the holidays around a table surrounded with loved ones and more food than they could ever possibly consume, others will be struggling to get by and feed their families.
About 40 million people lived in food-insecure households last year, including 6.5 million children, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service. This means that 12 percent of the country at some point lived in a place where they were “uncertain of having, or unable to acquire, enough food to meet the needs of all their members” due to lack of money and other resources.
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The prevalence of food insecurity is highest in the South and lowest in the Northeast, according to the USDA. In Illinois, it was near the national average from 2015-17.
Food banks typically don’t give out food themselves. Rather, they collect and distribute food to smaller hunger-relief charities, according to the organization Feeding America. This usually includes basic provisions and non-perishable items.
Food pantries, meanwhile, are the arms that reach out into communities directly, particularly those that need the most support. You may consider reaching out to your local pantries to see how you can give back and what needs they have this holiday season.
Your turn: Do you have a volunteer opportunity you’d like to share? Tell us in the comments or on Facebook.
Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.
Photo credit: Shutterstock
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