Lend a Helping Hand

Many of our friends and neighbors struggle financially every day, and the holiday season is especially difficult. Here’s a list of local nonprofits working to make sure everyone has a great holiday season. Please do what you can to help, whether it’s donating money or time. While you’re at it, consider bringing a basket of homemade goodies, fresh fruit or colorful flowers to show your appreciation for the staff and volunteers at these nonprofits. Cherokee County Homeless Veterans Program

https://bit.ly/3lkJMlV

Cherokee County Homeless Veterans Program is looking for candidates for the eighth annual Holiday Adopt a Vet program. The focus is on helping low-income veterans, those in senior living facilities, as well as homeless veterans, this holiday season. If you know of a veteran family in need, or you want to volunteer for this program, contact Jim Lindenmayer at 678-983-7590 or jlindenmayer80@gmail.com.

Items are needed for the program’s annual drives and events, such as 10 bicycles for boys or girls for the Adopt a Vet program. Donors also can drop off gently used winter coats for the annual coat drive, Christmas cards for senior veterans (they do not have to be personalized), toiletries, flashlights with batteries, hand warmers, good gloves, emergency blankets and first-aid kits to American Legion Post 45, 160 McClure St., in Canton. To schedule a donation drop-off, contact Jim Lindenmayer, or call or text Betty Lewis at 770-318-6451.

Cherokee Family Violence Center

www.cfvc.org/donate-now

Cherokee Family Violence Center has a transitional housing complex, with 72 apartments and an emergency shelter that accommodates 12 women and children affected by domestic violence. The Thanksgiving wish list includes weekly meals through the holidays for shelter residents, canned items (like soups, meats, fruits and vegetables) and over-the-counter medications for cold and flu season. Additional donation items wanted include unscented laundry pods, dishwashing pods, paper towels, toilet paper, paper plates, plastic utensils, new pillows, white linens for twin and full beds, white towel sets (washcloths, bath towels and hand towels) and new undergarments for all ages. Contact 770-479-1804, ext. 101, or volunteers@cfvc.org.

Cherokee Recreation & Parks Agency

www.playcherokee.org/200/Hugs-in-a-Blanket

Cherokee Recreation & Parks Agency is collecting items in support of helping seniors in need. Donations for the Hugs in a Blanket campaign will be taken between Nov. 1 and Dec. 14. Donors can bring a new warm blanket and new slipper socks to the recreation center, during regular business hours, at 7545 Main St., Building 200, in Woodstock. For more information, contact Jessica Hallman at jshallman@cherokeega.com or 770-924-7768.

Adopt a Senior 2021

www.cherokeega.com

Cherokee County Senior Services is collecting the following gift items for local seniors: a set of new bed sheets, a $25 grocery gift card, a book of stamps and other nonperishable items, such as toiletries, word searches, candy, etc. Please place gifts in a holiday gift bag (no wrapping please). Gift drop-off is 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, through Dec. 2, and special Saturday drop-offs are 10 a.m.-noon Nov. 5 and Dec. 3. Gifts may be taken to the Cherokee County Senior Center, 1001 Univeter Road, in Canton. For more information, call 770-345-3025 or email bmkiser@cherokeega.com.

Cherokee Secret Santa

www.cherokeesanta.com

The Secret Santa program of the Department of Family and Children’s Services of Cherokee County offers a way for individuals, businesses, schools, churches or groups such as Sunday school classes or Boy and Girl Scout troops, to help the more than 375 children in foster care this year. Sponsors can be matched with specific children or collect specialty items needed to service the program. All levels of contributions are accepted. All size donations are appreciated. For more details, call the Secret Santa phone line at 678-235-5519.

Cherokee Thanksgiving

www.cherokeethanksgiving.com

The 30th annual event, on Nov. 24, is open to everyone. Organizers are partnering with Williamson Brothers Bar-B-Q in Canton to serve more than 2,000 free meals, by delivery or pickup, in Cherokee and Pickens counties. Local area emergency service personnel, as well as area hospital emergency staff, receive dinners. Visit the website to reserve meals for delivery or pickup on Thanksgiving Day, sign up to volunteer as a meal delivery driver or food prep assistant, or make a monetary donation. Volunteers also are needed beyond Thanksgiving, to help coordinate fundraising, expand the website, organize volunteers and create more awareness for the nonprofit.

The Children’s Haven www.CherokeeChildrensHaven.org

This nonprofit promotes the health and happiness of children in Cherokee affected by abuse and neglect. The group works to ensure their safety, advocate on their behalf and respond to meet their needs. Holiday needs include Christmas/holiday/winter-themed pajamas (sizes newborn to teen), as well as gift cards for Target, Kohl’s, Best Buy and similar stores. Volunteers always are needed to assist in the Caregiver’s Closet. Items can be dropped off at 1083 Marietta Highway in Canton. 770-345-3274.

Encompass Ministries https://encompassministriesinc.org

Encompass Ministries and its food pantry offer year-round food and stability, as well as lifeskills training assistance. Special holiday needs: donations of turkeys, ham and nonperishable food items. A list of the Top 10 food needs is kept upto-date on the website. Tax-deductible donations also are accepted on the website. For more details, call 770-591-4730. Forever Fed

www.foreverfed.org

Forever Fed, a mobile food ministry, hosts multiple food pantries a month in outdoor settings. There are many opportunities to partner with the nonprofit in building up our community with compassion: volunteer, donate nonperishable foods, send a financial gift or even hold a food drive. For a complete list of events and volunteer opportunities, visit www.foreverfed.org.

Goshen Valley Foundation

www.goshenvalley.org

Goshen Valley Boys Ranch attempts to provide a memorable Christmas for foster children, with the community’s help. This includes building traditions, talking about the true meaning of Christmas, as well as fulfilling young people's wants and needs through gift giving, teaching them that they are loved. With 42 kids to purchase gifts for, Goshen Valley relies on the generosity of the community to fulfill these wishes. A list of gifts has been compiled on the Amazon website through a charity wishlist. For details, visit http://goshenwishlist.org, email Executive Director Stacy Cooper at scooper@ goshenvalley.org or call 770-796-4618 for a link to view gifts the boys have requested.

Meals for Woodstock

www.woodstockga.gov/about/outreach.php

Hot cooked meals are provided for free by donations and volunteers, 4-6 p.m. on the first and third Tuesday of the month at Vingenzo's on East Main Street in downtown Woodstock. Other restaurants are encouraged to get involved in the community collaboration by contacting the Woodstock Office of Economic Development. To support the effort with a monetary contribution, visit the website; 100% of funds raised goes to the purchase of food for the program.

MUST Ministries — Cherokee

www.mustministries.org

The MUST Ministries Thanksgiving Food Box Program long has been a source of help and hope to those living in poverty in Cherokee County. To help your neighbors in need, MUST is collecting donations of canned green beans, corn, cranberry sauce and sweet potatoes. Also requested are boxes or packets of mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, cornbread, stuffing and gravy mixes (no glass, please). Additionally, monetary donations for frozen pies are needed. Nonperishable items can be dropped off 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m. through Nov. 11, and Christmas toy donations can be dropped off through Dec. 2 (see the list of items needed below). Drop-offs are at MUST’s Canton location at 111 Brown Industrial Parkway. Please call Maurice Speaks at 770-721-2924 or email mspeaks@mustministries.org.

MUST Ministries Christmas toy needs include:

Teen Gifts

• Jewelry and watches • Adult coloring books and colored pencils • Headphones/earbuds • Sports equipment (balls, gloves, bats, skateboards) • Makeup kits • Calligraphy sets • Hair dryers/flat irons • Cologne/perfume/bath sets • Purses, wallets and belts

Toys for Ages 0-12

• Educational toys • Helmets and large bikes • Ethnic baby and Barbie dolls • Jackets and scarves • Legos • Blankets • Diapers • Hats and gloves • Hot Wheels tracks

Never Alone www.neveralone.org

The food pantry is seeking partners to help fight hunger in our community. The pantry provides more than 126,100 meals to approximately 800 households each month. Never Alone’s partnership with the Atlanta Community Food Bank allows it to purchase food at greatly discounted prices. Make a tax-deductible donation online at www.neveralone.org, or by check, made payable to and mailed to: Never Alone Outreach, P.O. Box 1904, Woodstock, GA 30188. North Georgia Angel House

www.angelhousega.com

The organization has served girls since 2006, by providing shelter, life skills, job readiness services, family support and more, for up to 40 females at a time. Current needs include: MP3 players, earbuds, gift cards for clothing or activities in the area and journals. Visit the website to donate, or shop on Amazon Smile and select North Georgia Angel House Inc. as your charity to support.

Operation Christmas Child

www.samaritanspurse.org

Representatives will be collecting donations of filled shoeboxes Nov. 14-21. Check the website for updates on locations in the area that will be accepting shoeboxes, including Canton First Baptist Church and Ellison & Ellison Co. in Kennesaw, and for directions on donating or filling a virtual shoebox.

SERV International

https://servone.org/foodlocal

The nonprofit provides food to local families and to complex regions globally. With the help of volunteers, 800 SERV food boxes are delivered each month to families in need in Cherokee County and the surrounding areas. To sponsor a local family for $35 a month, visit the website. For volunteer opportunities, email info@servone.org.

Volunteers organize food items for SERV Food Local boxes.