Austin is an amazing city full of love and generosity. Now that the holidays are here it is a great time to share some joy and give a little to the community we love so much.

Here are some wonderful local charities that you can donate gifts, money and/or time to. Don’t forget that you can help these and many other charities year round because there is so much we can do to make Austin an even more beautiful place to be.

Austin Moms Blog | Favorite Austin Charities To Support This Holiday Season

 

Helping others is also a great thing to do with your little ones.  It teaches them about being kind, having empathy, accepting differences, how to share, respect for others and the simple yet great power of bringing happiness to others.

Here are some ideas of what you can do with your little ones:

  • Take them with you when you donate. Let them see where things are going and to whom. Kids are very visual, so being able to be at the charity of your choice or, even better, participate in some way, is a fantastic way to teach them about kindness.
  • Have them go through their old toys and clothes to give to other kids. Depending on your kids, this may be harder than it sounds. At first, my kids were very reluctant to give away their prized possessions so we had to start small. Once they realized that they were going to make other kids so happy, they became very excited about the possibility. Especially if they knew they would be going with me. 
  • Have them pick the gifts you will donate at the store by explaining that they are going to go to children that don’t have them. Of course, they may want one for themselves. My work around is to allow them to pick whatever they want from the sale rack or dollar bin at Target.
  • Have them make crafts to take to a nursing home or children’s hospital to distribute. I need to do this one with both of my sons. My older boy and I did this while I was pregnant with my second, and it was amazing. The people at the nursing home were so grateful and sweet. They just wanted to sit and talk to my son. It was beautiful.

Below is a short list of charities that were picked by other Austin Moms.  I hope you find one that moves your heart. If you know of any other charities, please let us know and we can update our list.  Also, there will be two links at the end of the list that take you to other lists for nonprofit organizations. Charity begins at home. Anything you can give someone else is more than they had before. Thank you, to all that work so hard to help others.

Any Baby Can

Mission: Any Baby Can improves the lives of children by strengthening them and their families through education, therapy and family support services. Most of our services are provided through home visitation programs, and we also offer community classes and support groups. At Any Baby Can, we believe that every child deserves a strong family, and it’s the foundation of everything we do.

To donate please go to https://www.anybabycan.org/donate

Austin Diaper Bank

Mission: Austin Diaper Bank is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing diapers to Austin families in need to strengthen the community as a whole.  Click here for a charity spotlight.

To donate please go to http://diaperbanknetwork.org/

Buck’s Barn

Mission: We collect presents year-round, then set up shop at Dell Children’s Hospital in Austin, Texas the 1st weekend in December each year and call it “Buck’s Barn”.

To donate please go to http://www.bucksbarn.org/index.html Buck’s Barn is very much a miracle for sick children. Even though the block party for Austin Moms Blog already took place, the charity was featured in an article about the event.  You can learn more about Buck in this featured article by clicking here.

Caritas

Mission: Caritas provides a service continuum for those experiencing poverty that begins with a safety net and links them to resources to achieve self-sufficiency.

To donate please go to http://www.caritasofaustin.org/donate

Communities in Schools

Mission:  Communities In Schools of Central Texas surrounds students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.

To donate please go to http://www.ciscentraltexas.org/get-involved/donate-online/

Junior League of Austin

Mission: The Junior League of Austin is a diverse group of dedicated women working to make Austin a better place.  The Junior League of Austin is a non-profit organization formed in 1934 committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving our community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers.  Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.

To donate please go to http://www.jlaustin.org/?nd=donate_summary

The Junior League of Austin has many opportunities for you to donate and participate in making Austin better.  Here are a couple of them:

Coats for Kids

Mission: This annual community event collects and distributes new and gently worn, warm winter coats to the eligible youth of Central Texas, while also providing an opportunity for families to access local resources through an onsite community fair.

To donate please go to http://www.jlaustin.org/?nd=cfk_help

Food in Tummies

Mission: To educate children, parents and the community in order to promote nutritional health and maximize student potential and eliminate weekend hunger.

To donate please go to http://www.jlaustin.org/?nd=fit

Habitat for Humanity

Mission: The mission and vision of Austin Habitat for Humanity are anchored around our dedication to ending the cycle of poverty housing and the deeply held belief that everyone deserves a decent, affordable place to live.

To donate please go to https://www.austinhabitat.org/make-a-gift

Hill Country Community Ministries

Mission: We are people of faith cooperating in the love of Christ and neighbor to help those in need. HCCM operates a food pantry, clothes closet, and provides other assistance for approximately 400-500 families a month.

To donate please go to http://www.hccm.org/index.html

Lake Travis Thrift/Ladies of Charity

Mission: Profits support charities and the needy, primarily in the Lake Travis area:

To donate please go to http://www.laketravisthrift.com/

My Healing Place

Mission: Working with individuals and families who have experienced grief or trauma due to the death of a loved one from illness, accident, suicide or violence; or have experienced loss due to divorce or separation. Together we enable you to take steps forward; steps focused on life.

To donate please go to http://myhealingplace.org/donate.htm

Operation Blue Santa

Mission: Each year we provide each family we serve with a full holiday meal and wrapped Christmas gifts for each child under age 14. Click here for a charity spotlight.

To donate please go to:

http://www.bluesanta.org For Austin

http://www.lvbluesanta.org For Lago Vista

Partnership for Children

Mission: The mission of Partnerships for Children has always been to provide Child Protective Services’ caseworkers with the resources that they need to better serve the kids in our community.

To donate please go to http://partnershipsforchildren.org/donate/

Redeemed Ministries

Mission: To provide care for women rescued from domestic sex trafficking. “To bring Christ’s loving redemption and amazing liberation within our communities by providing environments conducive for holistic healing and guiding adult survivors of domestic sex trafficking to healthy, productive and independent living.”

To donate please go to http://redeemedministries.com/donate/

SafePlace

Mission: SafePlace helps women, children and men who have survived sexual or domestic violence.  Through community contributions, individuals come together to make an impact on the lives of thousands of survivors.  There are many ways you can give in support of the programs and services that are so vital to our continued success.

To donate please go to http://safeplace.org/get-involved/give/

The Settlement Home

Mission: Our mission is to promote healing and growth in children, young adults and families by providing a continuum of care, support and resources.  We serve individuals with histories of severe trauma, abuse and neglect.  https://www.settlementhome.org/donate

Wonders and Worries

Mission: Helping Children Cope When A Parent Faces a Serious or Life-threatening Illness

To donate please go to https://wondersandworries.wufoo.com/forms/make-a-gift-today/

Other Lists of Charities:

Great Nonprofits: http://greatnonprofits.org/city/Austin/TX

Lake Travis Chamber of Commerce: http://business.laketravischamber.com/list/category/non-profit-321

Thank you for taking the time to find a charity that you can get behind and support. We here at Austin Moms Blog want to wish you the happiest of holidays, along with love and good health all year long.

 :: Do you have a favorite charity? Sound off! ::

 

Malu Talan
Hola! I am Malu. I am a UT graduated bilingual mama raising two energetic boys who love with ALL of their heart. They are my greatest teachers and they make me try to be a better person even when I am not ready. I have been married to the love of my life since 2006 and can’t wait for FOREVER more. He is my rock, my sanity and makes me feel beautiful even in my worst days. I run the Family Events Calendar for AMB and have been part of this amazing team since 2014. I love how AMB lets mamas from all over Austin share their vision, their humor, their frustrations and whatever other stories they like to tell in this platform. It is a much needed safe space for mamas navigating this wild ride we are on. When I am not being mama or finding family events, my side hustles include searching for fun ways to help my boys love languages, writing silly picture books, running my own Rodan and Fields biz, helping out at their school when I can and getting my kids excited about it all!!

1 COMMENT

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here