GIVING BACK GUIDE: NONPROFITS SEEK GIFT CARDS, TOYS

Since 2018, Giving Marin Community Partnership has fostered the recognition of, exposure for and donations to support hundreds of nonprofit organizations that serve Marin County. Here are some Giving Marin nonprofit beneficiaries that need help this holiday season.

Books and toys

North Marin Community Services will hold its 50th Annual Holiday Share.

NMCS – 50th Annual Holiday Share

North Marin Community Services will host more than 400 children from low-income families at their 50th annual Holiday Share and Toy Drive. Children will receive gifts including toys, bikes, clothing and gift cards. Purchase gifts from a child’s wish list (northmarincs.org) of a gift card or a stuffed animal. Volunteers are needed Dec. 9-17. For more information, visit northmarincs.org/holiday-share-toy-drive.

Huckleberry Youth Programs

The staff of Huckleberry Youth Programs’ college access program, Huckleberry ACE Academy, will host a holiday party on Dec. 16 for clients at its site at Montecito Plaza in San Rafael. These low-income, first-generation college students are in need of toys for younger siblings, gift cards, or even baked goods to share at the party. For more information, visit huckleberryyouth.org.

Multicultural Center of Marin – Christmas in the Canal

The Multicultural Center of Marin is collecting unwrapped toys (infant-10 years old) and gift cards for children in the Canal. Donations can be dropped off at the center’s office at 709 5th Ave. in San Rafael. Multicultural Center of Marin will be distributing gifts to families on Dec. 22. Contact Solange Echeverria at 415-526-2486 or secheverria@multiculturalmarin.org for questions or more information.

Conservation Corps North Bay

Gifts and gift cards are needed for the children of parenting and caregiving corpsmembers. Visit smile.amazon.com/hz/charitylist/ to see how you can help.

Voces del Canal – Second Annual Holiday Fair

The Voces de Canal, with support from neighbors in the Cape Marin and Mill Valley communities, allow children in the Canal area to choose the perfect gift and a book. Parents will receive a gift card as well as other holiday necessities. Gift cards, unwrapped gifts, new bicycles and cash donations are needed. Donations may be made at 316 Auburn St., Unit B, in San Rafael Saturdays 4-8 p.m. and Sundays from 3-6 p.m. To arrange a donation to be picked up, contact Marina Palma at marinapalma123@gmail.com or call (415) 574- 1078, or Aurelia Vargas at 415- 717-6728. The gifts will be distributed by Voces del Canal and community volunteers on Dec. 17 at the holiday party. For more information, visit gofundme.com/f/vocesdelcanal.

Clothing drives

Ritter Center

With the change in seasons, the temperature is dropping and the need for ways to stay warm for those who are living on the streets is increasing. Your new or gently used backpacks, sleeping bags and coats can keep our fellow neighbors a little bit warmer during the coming winter months. Drop off your gently used coats, backpacks and sleeping bags at the front of Ritter Center located at 16 Ritter St. in San Rafael near the food pantry on the ground floor. Visit rittercenter.org.

Ritter Center is in need of clothing, backpacks and sleeping bags this holiday season.

KK Swaps – Girls in Need

Jackets, coats, and shoes are needed for kids and high school girls in need. For more information, visit instagram.com/kk.swaps.

Bloom

Bloom is looking for warm winter coats. Donations may be made Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. in the back of Bloom’s retail location at 1557 4th St. in San Rafael. For more information, visit Bloommarin.org.

Pets

Muttville Senior Dog Rescue

Leashes, waste bags and other supplies for senior dogs are needed this holiday season. Donations may be made at Pet Food Express, 280 Northgate Drive, San Rafael. For more information, visit muttville.org.

Muttville Senior Dog Rescue needs leashes, dog food and more.

Marin Humane

The Marin Humane helps hundreds of families who can’t afford food or veterinary care by providing free community clinics — nearly 500 dogs and cats this year got vaccinations, microchips, and more — and free pet food deliveries to people’s homes and to food pantries. There are three easy ways to help:

Buy an e-gift card from Amazon, Target or Safeway and email it to petfooddrive@marinhumane.org. Marine Humane will buy the needed food.
Buy an item (or two) from their Amazon wish list (smile.amazon.com/hz/charitylist/ls/2KZ570C5C7TM7/) or Chewy wish list ( chewy.com/g/marin-humane) and your gift will be delivered directly to Marin Humane.

Drop off pet food donations or physical gift cards in the donation barrels at the main campus at 171 Bel Marin Keys Blvd., Novato. Needs include dry and canned cat food, canned dog food and flea medication (Advantage for cats, Advantix for dogs). Visit Marinhumane.org.

Other ways to give

St. Vincent de Paul’s Thanksgiving Turkey Drive

Give the gift of a warm meal this holiday season by participating in St. Vincent de Paul Society of Marin’s annual Turkey Drive. Consider donating a turkey to St. Vincent de Paul’s Free Dining Room to help meet this unprecedented need. Donations may be dropped off at the Free Dining Room, 820 B St. in San Rafael, seven days a week between 6:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Visit vinnies.org.

PEP

Safeway gift cards will help low-income, most formerly homeless residents living at Toussin Senior Apartments. For more information, visit pephousing.org.

Kids Cooking for Life

Grocery store gift cards, in any amount, supply groceries for Kids Cooking for Life’s hands-on nutrition and cooking classes. Gift cards may be mailed to Kids Cooking For Life, P.O. Box 94, Larkspur, California 94977. For more information, visit Kidscookingforlife.org

Blue Star Moms of Marin

Target gift cards are needed for veterans, Marin County veterans resource officers and social workers. Donations can be mailed to P.O. Box 5684, Novato, California 94948, or contact the Blue Star Moms of Marin at info@bluestarmsofmarin.org to arrange pick up. Monetary donations can be made at bluestarmomsofmarin.org.

Homeward Bound of Marin

Gift cards are needed for those in shelter and supportive housing. Donations can be dropped off or mailed to Homeward Bound, 1385 N. Hamilton Parkway, Novato. For more information, visit hbofm.org.

Bread & Roses

Bread & Roses Presents needs high-caliber upbeat performers to provide music for their program at the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank in San Rafael. They present volunteer musicians every Saturday morning at their main food bank distribution center in Marin for both the recipients and food bank volunteers. Music is needed for concerts in December and in the new year. To apply, visit breadandroses.org/volunteer.

Ceres Community Project would like to brighten their clients’ day with small, homemade gifts.
Photos courtesy of NMCS, Ritter Center, Muttville, Blue Star Moms and Ceres

Ceres Project

Help make the holidays happy for clients of Ceres Community Project. Donate handmade gifts to include along with the medically tailored meals delivered to clients each week to help them eat foods that are beautiful, delicious, nourishing and appropriate for their diagnoses, including cancer, congestive heart failure and diabetes. Due to the range of clients served, Ceres Project is unable to accept food, gender-specific gifts or gifts that are tied to a particular holiday. Examples of things that work well include small rocks painted with an image or word like “Love” or “Hope,” hand-knitted or crocheted scarves or hats, small ceramic pieces, or small cards or collages. For more information, contact info@ceresproject.org

Marin Foster Care

Volunteers are needed at Marin Foster Care’s holiday party Dec. 17 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Contact lena@marinfostercare.org for more information. Also, holiday gift and stocking stuffer drives can be found here. Gifts: https://a.co/9yCuU1C. Stocking stuffers: https://a.co/iMdh3T7.