Learn about 10 Caring Gifts

MOBILE, Ala. - For over two decades, Volunteers of America Southeast has joined with Fox10 to bring hope and cheer to thousands of children in our community who are in desperate need during this often difficult time of the year. We’ve achieved this through our Ten Caring Gifts program.

Many children right here in our community are living without parents through no fault of their own. Others have families who are in truly difficult, or even desperate, financial situations, again through no fault of their own. The mission of Volunteers of America Southeast is to reach and uplift people, what better way to do this than to help those who are most vulnerable, the
children.

Those participating in our Ten Caring Gifts program have witnessed something beyond a smiling child receiving gifts, they have witnessed the reality of hope in that child’s eyes. We are
also helping those in our community who have intellectual disabilities, the frail elderly, the homeless, and people with other special needs.

This year, Volunteers of America Southeast has identified more local children than ever who need our help. Each and every one of them is truly in need of our love and compassion this holiday
season. Your school’s participation will ensure that we serve all the children we identified as needing help (over 1,700), as well as others in our community who need a “hand up.”

Your school can make an enormous impact on someone’s life by choosing a project from our Ten Caring Gifts list, which is listed below. Please join us in spreading a little joy this Christmas, joy that these children and others in need would certainly otherwise be without.

To find out more, or to let us know what project you would like to undertake, please call or email Keith Ferguson at 251-421-3380 / kferguson@voase.org

TEN CARING GIFTS

Operation Learn! - Purchase new school supplies or like-new books for children or youth in our community programs, or for
people with special needs being assisted in Volunteers of America’s new Community Enrichment Center.

Operation Art! - Purchase new art supplies for children or youth in our community programs, or for people with special needs
being assisted in Volunteers of America’s new Community Enrichment Center.

Operation Caring Tree - Make a difference for a child (who is separated from their parents through no fault of their own) this Christmas morning by providing new gifts that will give them hope, happiness, and a better outlook on life.

Operation Stay Warm - Warm someone in need with a new blanket. New, inexpensive blankets are great for this project. They will be distributed to at-risk children, the frail elderly, and people with special needs.

Operation Shoes - Help someone in need with new shoes. New, inexpensive shoes are great for this project. They will be distributed to at-risk children, the frail elderly, and people with special needs.

Operation Christmas Card - Touch someone’s life with a Christmas greeting they might not otherwise receive. Purchase cards, or design your own special cards to be distributed to children who are separated from their parents, elderly who may be alone, or any active military personnel serving over seas.

Operation Food for the Holidays - Provide non-perishable food items for people in our community who are in need, including at-risk children, the frail elderly, and people with special needs.

Operation Change a Life - Collect pocket change, and change the Christmas holidays to a day of hope for people in our community who are in need, including at-risk children, the frail elderly, and people with special needs.

Operation Touch of Home - Collect toiletry and personal care items for active military personnel serving over seas.

Or give a CASH GIFT - Just designate one or more of the “Operation” gifts and tell us how you would like your cash donation distributed. Or, in an effort to help those in our community most in need, choose one or more of the following areas of service and we will make sure your cash donation is used in the most needed manner:

Gift of Hope donations will provide building materials for volunteers still working to restore homes damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

Gift of Joy donations will provide a blanket, a jacket, and new shoes for at-risk children, the frail elderly, and people with special needs.

Gift of Peace donations will assist truly homeless persons and their children to get back on their feet through temporary housing, food assistance, counseling, or other areas where the need is greatest.

Gift of Love donations will be placed in an indigent health care fund managed by Volunteers of America Southeast to pay necessary health care costs for people we serve who have special needs and can not provide health care for themselves.