Holiday Sharing

Long story short, Holiday Sharing thinks that every single person should have a "Happy Holiday!" Our mission is to brighten the holiday season for a number of needy families in Charlottesville. Holiday Sharing works with the Salvation Army, which provides us with a list of families to provide a "gift package" for, and the volunteers take it from there!

Our volunteers begin in early October and work every week until the first week of December. We begin by recruiting sponsors who will provide enough food for three full meals for the family, and gifts of approximately $30 or more for each family member. This constitutes a huge publicity push during the first few weeks. We also gather donations of toys, clothing, non-perishable food, and money from those wanting to help but might be unable to completely sponsor a family. Sponsors then bring their "gift packages" full of food and gifts to Madison House, where our volunteers inventory every item, and prepare them for Distribution Day!

What will the volunteers do?

Holiday Sharing volunteers ensure that at-need community members have a "Happy Holiday!" The program receives families from the Salvation Army in need of food, toys and clothes for the holidays. Volunteers complete various tasks including chalking and flyering, calling past sponsors, emailing groups and departments around grounds, creating thank you cards for sponsors, manning Holiday Trees, and attending Distribution Day; where families come to pick up their holiday packages!

When?

Volunteering begins in early October and ends the first week of December. Shifts occurs Monday-Friday on a weekly basis for 2-hour each. Volunteers will submit their availability and will be assigned a volunteering shift.