‘Tis the season to give.
With the holidays right around the corner, countless people take the opportunity to donate to charities and help their community.
Johnson County’s nonprofit organizations need help more than ever this year. If you and your family want to get involved, here’s a guide to some of what the community and those groups need.
Christmas Angels
Needs: Christmas Angels, a program of United Way of Johnson County, is in need of individuals and organizations who would like to sponsor families who cannot provide Christmas gifts for their children.
People can serve as a family sponsor to directly purchase gifts for children in a particular family or families. Family sponsors can be individuals, families, service groups, neighborhoods, businesses, faith-based groups, etc. who provide Christmas assistance for particular children in the community. They can also be a gift sponsor to provide toys and gift items for the Angel Tree Store. Each year more families apply for assistance than there are family sponsors. In order to serve all families who qualify, gift sponsors provide items for the Angel Tree Store so that parents whose children are not matched to a sponsor can come and pick out gifts for their children.
How to get involved: To sponsor Christmas Angels or to make a donation, go to uwjc.org.
Girls Inc. of Johnson County
Needs: Girls Inc. of Johnson County’s greatest need is for individuals and businesses to sponsor girls to participate in their after-school, summer camp and outreach programs. Volunteers are needed to: spruce up the grounds and center, perform light maintenance, help with fundraisers, be an after-school homework help or study buddy, a tutor, a library assistant, a guest speaker or serve on a committee.
How to get involved: Monetary donations can be mailed to Girls Inc. of Johnson County at 200 E. Madison St., Franklin, IN 46131. Donations can also be made online at girlsincjc.org or over the phone at 317-736-5344.
Here’s what your gift could do: $20 provides one girl transportation to Girls Inc. after-school; $35 provides a registration fee for one girl to attend Girls Inc; $75 provides a full week of summer camp programming; $100 provides six girls an interactive hands-on STEM camp field trip; $211 provides a girl scholarship assistance to attend a semester of after school programs; $250 provides instructional supplies to implement an outreach program; $675 provides a girl an entire summer camp program, Monday-Friday including breakfast, lunch, snack, swimming, field trips, guest speakers, and Girls Inc. programs.
Good Cheer Fund
Needs: The Good Cheer Fund is a Johnson County tradition that distributes holiday meals and some essentials to the needy in the county around Christmas. The fund needs monetary donations. Organizers hope to distribute 800 food baskets this year.
How to get involved: Monetary donations will be accepted until the end of December. Donations can be mailed to the Daily Journal, P.O. Box 699, Franklin, IN 46131, or dropped off at the Daily Journal at 30 S. Water St., Second floor, Suite A, in Franklin.
Interchurch Food Pantry
Needs: The pantry is seeing record-breaking numbers of families needing assistance. Please consider brightening the holidays with the following food donations: hams, potato sides, mac and cheese, cake mixes and frosting, and baking supplies for pies and cookies. They also need peanut butter, pasta and canned meats.
In addition, volunteers are always needed. Opportunities include: 10:45 a.m.-3:15 p.m. weekdays, filling orders, stocking, and unloading donations; 8 a.m.-1 p.m. weekdays, box truck drivers picking up food donations; weekend of Dec. 16-18, a perfect family opportunity to sort food donations, also need some strong volunteers to load box truck.
How to get involved: Email [email protected] to volunteer. Monetary donations can be mailed to P.O. Box 147, Whiteland, IN 46184 or via Paypal on the organization’s website jcpantry.org. Food donations can be dropped off between 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday at 211 Commerce Drive, Franklin, or any time in the after-hours donation box at the southwest corner of their parking lot.
Johnson County Senior Services
Needs: The organization, which provides a variety of services to older adults throughout the county, is in need of nutrition drinks like Boost, Ensure, etc.; gift cards to help the seniors purchase medicines, and items we do not have in the pantry. The organization delivered Christmas to 2,500 seniors last year and the most requested items were soft blankets, warm socks, lotions, personal products, cleaning supplies, paper products, snacks, chocolate, nuts, fruit cups, and items for their dogs and cats. Monetary donations and volunteers are always needed.
How to get involved: Call 317-738-4544 to volunteer. Donations can be made at jcseniorservices.org/donate or at their office at 36 W. 600 N. Whiteland, IN 46184.
The Social of Greenwood
Needs: The Social is a gathering space for Greenwood and southside seniors that provides programs, activities and services designed to enhance the quality of life of those 50 and older. The nonprofit organization offers community lunches, fitness programs and a hotline offering information about such topics as low-income housing, senior care, Medicare and Medicaid and transportation. The Social also has a food pantry every Tuesday and Thursday.
How to get involved: Donate directly at thesocialofgreenwood.org/supportthesocial.
The Refuge
Needs: The Refuge, a Greenwood nonprofit helping to feed the hungry, is in need of volunteer assistance, as well as financial donations and contributions of food, new household cleaning products and new hygiene items. Top needs are typically toilet paper, bags of rice, canned fruit, pasta sauce, laundry soap, dish soap and facial tissues. Regular volunteer needs include front office assistance, workers during pantry hours, sorting and stocking donations, picking up donations and general building maintenance.
How to get involved: Donate online at therefugeinc.com/paypal-link. Checks can be made out to The Refuge, and mailed to 1150 South Park Drive, Greenwood, IN 46143. People can also purchase items from the Refuge’s Amazon Wishlist, which can be found at therefugeinc.com/donation-options.
Turning Point Domestic Violence Services
Needs: Because Turning Point is in the process of moving its administrative offices, the group is unable to hold its annual Holiday Store, which typically provides gifts for every single one of our program participants and their families. However, organizers still hope to ensure every client they serve has a special holiday with their family. Staff members are working to connect families to alternative community resources, though they anticipate many last-minute needs due to the urgency of our work. They are currently seeking donations of gift cards from Amazon and Walmart in order to meet immediate needs.
How to get involved: People can donate at turningpointdv.org or through Venmo @TurningPointDV. To purchase gift cards directly, specific links can be found at turningpointdv.org/holidaystore. Other than gifts, Turning Point always welcomes volunteer work, with several ongoing and one-time volunteer opportunities throughout the holiday season and the entire year.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Johnson County
Needs: For the Franklin-based organization, which serves more than 1,500 youth in the county, donations are key to ensuring that we are able to offer programs to all youth, no matter their financial situation. They rely on the support of the community to provide access to its after-school program as well as youth athletics.
How to get involved: Make a donation at bgcf.net/give-today, or mail to 101 N. Hurricane St., Franklin IN 46131.
ASSIST Indiana
Needs: ASSIST Indiana provides advocacy, specialized services, interventions and support to trauma victims and their loved ones directly. The organization serves all ages of people affected by violence by providing trauma therapy, support groups, community resource referral, as well as, crisis intervention, victim advocacy, case management and prevention education. Donations are critical to that work.
How to get involved: Donations can be made online at assistindiana.org/donate. People can also donate to ASSIST Indiana through AmazonSmile.
St. Thomas Clinic
Needs: The free community clinic is most in need of financial support to help us continue to offer free medical services and supplies including medicines and testing to the uninsured and underinsured residents. In addition, we look for volunteers with specific skills to work in various areas of the clinic.
How to get involved: Inquiries as to volunteerism or to send in donations can be directed to: Clinic Director, St. Thomas Clinic, 600 Paul Hand Blvd., Franklin, IN 46131. Donations may also be sent using PayPal link on our website saintthomasclinic.org.
Youth Connections
Needs: This organization aims to enhance the quality of life for youth and their families through innovative services and programs such as family mentoring, supervised visitation, community education, serving as a designated Safe Place, providing after school programs and facilitating emergency shelter for youth in crisis. Monetary donations are critical to continuing those services.
How to get involved: People can donate at aplos.com/aws/give/YouthConnections/general.
