Advocacy centers and food pantries have a variety of options for those in the Denton area to help their community this holiday season, including virtual events, online donations and in-person volunteering opportunities.
Denton County Friends of the Family, a non-profit organization that provides services for domestic violence victims, is holding a Thanksgiving drive to put together meal packages for 300 families. Their website offers a list of food they need as well as an Amazon wishlist. Donors can also give a $20 gift card to a local grocery store.
Donors can drop off donations at their outreach office, which is located at 4845 S. I-35 East Corinth, TX, 76210. The deadline to drop-off items is Friday.
Friends of the Family is also hosting an Adopt-a-Family Drive for individuals to adopt families impacted by domestic violence. They hope to provide gifts to over 700 children this holiday season.
To get involved, register on their website or volunteer to help hand out gifts at the drive-by by emailing volunteer@dcfof.org. Family’s wish lists will be sent to donors beginning Nov. 23.
“Donating has a big impact on the clients we serve who are impacted by domestic violence and sexual assault,” Community Resource Coordinator Stephanie Honeycutt said. “By donating food items or for our Thanksgiving Drive or by registering to adopt a family for our Adopt-a-Family Drive and getting gifts for kids and clothing items, it allows our families to have a sense of peace during the holidays, so they don’t have to worry about the financial burden of getting that meal on the table or those gifts under the tree.”
Children’s Advocacy Center for Denton County is also accepting donations. Those who want to help can adopt a child’s wish list by signing up on their website, donate items from their Amazon shopping list or make a monetary donation online. Items are due Dec. 5.
The Denton Community Food center participates in the annual First United Methodist Church Alternative Gifts Fair, which will be virtual this year. Rather than giving gifts to friends or family, the fair allows individuals to give monetary donations to the food center as an alternative gift. In turn, the church gifts donors with a certificate to give their loved one. The fair will end Nov. 16.
“I believe we all have an obligation to volunteer and give back in our community,” Chairman of the Board of Directors Tom Newell said. “Everybody should give back and do something in their community, especially now with all the struggles that are going on.”
Volunteer Linda Brady said that while they accept food donations all year, there is an emphasis on providing meals around the holidays.
“[Donating] is good any time of the year, but particularly at the holiday season,” Brady said, “People are so aware of what they don’t have or can’t do that this helps them to possibly put money in another place to help their children or something like that by us providing food.”
Featured Image: The Children’s Advocacy Center for Denton will work to provide Thanksgiving meals and other items to families in need. Image by Meredith Holser