Giving a helping hand!
Here are some ideas for things to give to places when you’re taking stuff in to help during the holidays for people who are not as fortunate than yourself. It gave me some ideas of things that I never would have thought of. I just never even thought of these things. I always went and got canned meats and veggies not thinking about all the other things. This can include at holidays when you’re helping the needy, at your church food pantry, etc.
They can always use stuffed animals to give away to the children when they come in with the parents. And Lord knows we all have TONS of stuffed animals around for all of our kiddos that they don’t even play with.
When you get your Sunday paper and go through to cut all the coupons out, don’t throw them away. Give them to a local place that can pass them on to people who might need them. Especially for diapers and medicines and stuff since they’re so much.
Diapers are ALWAYS short handed in all sizes
Baby wipes
They only give out 5 or so diapers a month because they can’t get enough of them
Feminine products
Soap
Toothpaste
Toothbrushes even for the little guys and gals
Dental floss
Deoderant
Dishwashing detergent
Laundry soap
All bathroom items for adults as well as infants/children
Any clothing you don’t want (including undergarments)
Trash bags
School supplies
Coloring books
Crayons
Canopeners
FOOD IDEAS - things I never would have thought of and things that kids will eat
Canned meats
Beans
Rice
Pizza dough
Cookie, bread and dough mixes
The big blocks of sliced cheese or velveta
Goldfish
Pretzels
Ketchup
BBQ sauce
Really any condiments
Peanut butter
Jellies
Boxes of crackers
Dried potatoes
Stuffing mixes
Coffee
Dry Creamer for coffee
Cold Medicines
Allergy Medicines
Pet foods
Asprin
Around the holidays you could give different spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, chocolate chips, flour, sugar, brown sugar, marshmallows, olives, mustard, mayonnaise, pickles, butter, pudding, jello, tea, oil, EVOO, stuff like that they probably can’t afford to get these things. It might even be nice to make a set of recipe cards on how to make all the different things for holidays. You never know they may have no idea how to cook the things they’re getting. 
These are just things that don’t cost much at all and would probably make a really big difference in someone’s life if they couldn’t afford these things. Just think about how you would feel if you were without even one of these things and couldn’t afford to go buy it.
