Massachusetts Christmas Charities?

How can I find help for my kinds for Christmas? I have three children of my own and am a single mother. I have two girls and 1 boy and it's kind of difficult for me to buy my kids what they want for Christmas. I have a job, yes, but am low income. I don't even have a Christmas tree for my family. Any ideas are appreciated.

By fiordaliza from Lawrence, MA

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Joan
Bronze Feedback Medal for All Time! 186 Feedbacks

December 6, 20100 found this helpful

They have all probably used up their resources by now. Try the Salvation Army, however, where I live their requests for help are up 20% from last year and they are $300,000 below for donations. A lot of the charities also have income guidelines, and just because you are low income doesn't mean you will meet the income requirements. Call 211, this is the phone number for a nationwide organization called HELPLINE, they keep a listing of a lot of the charities in a given location. Kids don't need a lot of presents and they also don't need expensive, fad type gifts. If you are low enough income to qualify for food stamps, your social worker might have some ideas where you can get help.

You should be able to get each of your kids one or two gifts at a dollar store. Also don't the kids have grandparents and aunts and uncles that will be giving them gifts. One year after I grew up my Mother saw an idea in a magazine that she thought was cute and she went out in the yard and found a tree branch that had broken off a tree and she spray painted it white and stuck it in an empty coffee can filled with sand, then put some lights and tree ornaments on it. We all thought it was really cool, and kind of funky. Sometimes people have to use their imagination.

Tapestry Lady

December 7, 20100 found this helpful

One year when I was a kid we didn't have money for a Christmas tree. So my Mom got one of those inexpensive artificial table-top trees and we made ornaments for it out of construction paper and glitter and things. It was lots of fun, and I was really proud of those ornaments!

Spending time with your family and making memories is what's really important, not some toys that they'll be bored with in a month anyway. Good luck to you. xx

Anonymous

October 22, 20150 found this helpful

Making memories IS WHAT'S most important you're absolutely right!

esamphowe

November 11, 20160 found this helpful

Best Answer

That's all well and awesome to be able to be satisfied with those wonderful memories, but try telling that to a child who sees everyone else " getting what they asked for", yet he received these most beautiful memories to share, instead...not gonna work. Would you have been able to absorb this as a child, and be satisfied? I know I couldn't hav!! We, as adults, are able to process the most important lessons that involve complex thought processes...such as what you mentioned. But many children are not intellectually capable of looking at things the way adults can( though these days kids seem to be soooo advanced!).

We need to do both. Teach them about giving
(not just materially) but also give!Lets try to show them, by actions and items. Moderation is the key to health. A little bit of everything balances everything. This is the pathway to human mental/emotional/spiritual health. I learned this a bit later in life, and I brought my child up with this point of view. She grew into an amazing person!

scampbell8342

December 21, 20130 found this helpful

Hello, Have you found help? Do you have a tree? I'd like to help.

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