Holiday giving: Suggestions and tips for choosing a charity

It’s the time of year when many people think about getting things they want. What if we flip our thinking and think a little more about holiday giving? There are many whose family traditions include giving in honor of a loved one, a tradition the Onya Baby family enjoys. And, in all honesty, it feels really good to give what you can.

There are a large number wonderful organizations to which you could choose to give.

Some, such as Toys for Tots, Operation Christmas Toys (run by Samaritan’s Purse), My Two Front Teeth, and Angel Tree, give gifts to children who otherwise would be without this season.

Others, such as Unicef, Matthew 25: Ministries, and MAP International, provide humanitarian aid around the world to those who need it most. The Children’s Health Fund provides health care and advocacy for the neediest children right here in the US.

Still more provide a variety of services, including training and animals to help families become self-reliant and economically secure. A great example of this type of charity is PlanCanada, which also has a program Because I Am a Girl, that works to empower girls to change the world.

If education is important to you, Teach For America aims to eliminate inequity in the public school system within the US. DonorsChoose allows the person giving to choose a classroom project to donate to and donations can be as much or as little as you choose.

And, of course, the giving of our time is a fantastic way to show our children the beauty of giving back. Look for your local Meals On Wheels to deliver hot meals to home-bound seniors with no one else to help them. Look for your local food bank and bring them food or serve up a meal or more at a local shelter.

Let’s remember our furry friends, too. PAWS Chicago and the ASPCA provide much needed assistance to neglected and abandoned animals.

And last but certainly not least, we’ve teamed up with HealthConnect One, to bring baby carriers to low-income families this holiday season. We couldn’t be more thrilled in the arrangement and believe than the families who will benefit from our partnership will be greatly aided in their daily lives by receiving a baby carrier. We love to see babywearing make people’s lives easier, and we genuinely love spreading babywearing goodness around.

There are so many charities we didn’t mention here. If you have questions about a certain charity, check out Charity Navigator, a website dedicated to helping you navigate the sometimes overwhelming and often opaque world of giving. This site does an excellent job of detailing and rating various organizations to help you understand them better. Dig through, there’s a lot of helpful information on the site.

So take some time this holiday season and choose a charity that suits your spirit. Those who are on the receiving end of your gift will be grateful, and you’ll feel good for giving. Huzzah!

Please comment below and tell us about your favorite charity.
Will you give back this season?

Happy Holidays from all of us at Onya Baby!
Be the change, make the world a better place.
We all have something to give.

Happy Babywearing!