Looking For A Local Vancouver Charity To Support This New Year? Here Are Some Suggestions

There are many charities within the local Vancouver area to support this year. Here we will list just a few of our favorites but we encourage you to search even deeper to find a charity that speaks to you. Giving your time, money and energy is a blessing to so many and in return, will be a blessing to you as you see the impact that it has on the communities around you.

• Meals On Wheels
• FISH
• Live Love Northwest
• NW Children’s Outreach
• Second Step Housing

Meals On Wheels

Meals On Wheels started out in a basement of a Methodist church when three women saw a need for seniors in their community. Through vision, a hot lunch was served to about a dozen seniors on paper plates wrapped in newspaper. Their commitment to reach out to their community turned into 50 years of meeting the social and nutritional needs of seniors through their Meals On Wheels program. Now, over 5500 volunteers serve seniors all over Multnomah, Washington and Clark county. Especially during a time where seniors are limited in their daily lives due to Covid, becoming a volunteer driver, donating financially or even calling seniors to chat by phone; you can support the senior communities in our area. To see how you can support this charity visit mealsonwheelspeople.org

FISH

FISH (Friends In Service To Humanity) serves the Vancouver, Washington area providing emergency food free of charge to anyone in need. Run entirely on volunteer support, FISH has provided people and families with nutritionally balanced meals by supplying 3-5 days of food once a month. With about 98% of food bank visitors living below the national poverty line, FISH is meeting the needs of tens of thousands who would otherwise go without. They also collect and distribute clothing for those in need. For more information you can visit fishvancouver.org.

Live Love Northwest

Live Love NW seeks to distribute resources to community members and partners so the NW regions foster families, human trafficking survivors, homeless and families in need are taken care of. Through your support, Live Love NW has been able to serve thousands of families within the NW region and continues to be a viable resource for those in need. Just last August, over 2 million dollars worth of goods was distributed to surrounding communities in 2020 and the future only holds more of this potential. To learn more on how you can support this charity, visit livelovenw.org for more information.

NW Children’s Outreach

NW Children’s Outreach is a collection and distribution non-profit that provides goods for children in need by supplying local providers. Through collecting items such as clothing, shoes, hygiene supplies, toys, books and baby items; children all over are provided with basic care supplies that they may not have access to otherwise. By volunteering your time you can help package up supplies for children in need or be a part of collecting donated items for these children to receive. Donations are also gratefully accepted. You can visit nwchildrens.org for more information.

Second Step Housing

In 1995, a group of concerned community members saw a need for supporting women and children so they could get back on their feet. Short term shelters did not provide enough time to adequately address any problems or obstacles that these families were facing so Second Step Housing was created to provide a longer, more stable living situation to help. By providing safe, affordable housing, case management and educational opportunities; families could work on becoming more self-sufficient and work towards a brighter future. Through support and donations, Second Step Housing is able to provide programs so individuals and families can achieve their goals and overcome current obstacles. Visit secondstephousing.org to learn more on how you can support this charity.

With a vast array of needs out in the world today, there’s no question that there are people we can help. It simply is a matter of deciding where we feel led to make a difference and start making one. We encourage you to take hold of what prompts you to reach out into the world and do whatever you can. Every step forward is a step in the right direction and when it comes to helping people, that will always be a step moving forward.