Christmas is a season for giving, and charity involvement is one way that people give to others during the holiday season. In Phoenix, Arizona, several charities work year-round to help families in need, and these organizations offer special Christmas programs to provide these families with a happy holiday.
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is an international, Catholic nonprofit organization that has been helping the needy in Arizona since 1946. During the holiday season, the charity organizes an Adopt-a-Family program. This program allows donor families the opportunity to provide Christmas dinner and presents for a needy family. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul screens and assesses the needs of families that are eligible for sponsorship. Interested parties sponsor a family for the season through a donation of Christmas dinner necessities and one gift for each family member. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul also operates a food bank and five charity dining rooms around the Phoenix area.
The Salvation Army is a Christian charity organization that operates social service programs, churches and hospitals in 118 countries. The Southwest Division, headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, provides a variety of programs for the needy, including the annual Christmas Angel program. Needy families can sign up children 12 years old and under for Christmas sponsorship. People can anonymously choose a Christmas Angel from Christmas trees located in the city's shopping malls. The Christmas Angel details include the child's age, clothing sizes and toy wish list. Christmas Angel sponsors can purchase gifts for the child and drop off the unwrapped items at any Salvation Army or Christmas Angel tree location. The Salvation Army also holds a holiday turkey drive and annual Christmas dinner for underprivileged families in the community.
The Jewish Family and Children's Service is a nonprofit organization focused on providing quality health and social services to people in need in Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix. The organization holds an annual holiday sponsorship program to provide Christmas or Chanukah gifts for needy families as well as teens in foster care. Jewish Family and Children's Service obtains all the details about the families, and people can choose families and make gift donations at locations in Phoenix and Scottsdale.
