Feature Image courtesy of Giving Tuesday.


Are you giving back this holiday season for #GivingTuesday?

 

Happy Wednesday, friends! Hope your week is going well so far. Next Tuesday is “Giving Tuesday”— a day when everyone across the globe is encouraged to give back to their community. There are so many ways you can give back to your local community for #GivingTuesday. If you’d like a few ideas, I’ve made a list of ways to give and volunteer.

**DETROIT FRIENDS: Scroll down below to see a few organizations (Freedom House Detroit, Goodwill of Greater Detroit, and Shakespeare in Detroit just to name a few) in Detroit that could use your help!

Let’s make a difference in our communities this holiday season! 🙂

 

 

14 Ways You Can Give Back on #GivingTuesday

  • Visit the elderly at a local nursing home.
  • Volunteer at your church or religious institution.
  • Donate your gently used clothing to a nonprofit organization.
  • Become a mentor to a student at a local school in your city/town.
  • Offer your skills or special talent to a community-based organization. Example: if you are really good with clerical skills, you could volunteer to work in the office of a nonprofit organization.
  • Sign up to give blood. The American Red Cross is always looking for blood donors.
  • Volunteer at an animal shelter. My mom volunteers at a local animal shelter at least twice a week. She really loves it!
  • Help build a house with the Habitat for Humanity.
  • Adopt a wild animal. Find out more about this program HERE.
  • Help save a life and become an organ donor.
  • Sign up with The Salvation Army to be a bell ringer!
  • Have your pooch serve as a therapy dog!
  • Help grant wishes to children who are fighting serious, life-threatening illnesses with Make-A-Wish.
  • Check out the official Giving Tuesday website to find more organizations you can give back to in your local area.

 

 

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Detroit-based Organizations to Give Back

For my Detroit friends, there are many nonprofit organizations you can make a monetary donation or volunteer your time.

I’ve compiled a list of a few nonprofits in Detroit that you can give back to for #GivingTuesday. If you’d like to find more organizations you can give back to, then check out Giving Tuesday’s official website here.

 

Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute

Where: 4100 John R St., Detroit, MI 48201

Make a Donation: There are several ways you can give to the Karmanos Cancer Institute. For instance, you can make a general donation or a tribute donation. You can also make a donation to the cancer institute’s Annual Fund.

Visit “Ways to Give”  for more information about how you can make a monetary donation.

Volunteer Your Time: The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute has many volunteer opportunities. Examples of volunteer positions are community education, hospitality, clerical support, and music therapy.

Contact: For more information about how you can volunteer your time at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, contact  313-576-9289, or email volunteer@karmanos.org.

Visit “Volunteer” for more information about volunteering.

 

 

FOCUS Detroit

Where: 1300 W Canfield St, Detroit, MI 48201

Make a Donation: FOCUS Detroit has many different “Giving Club Levels” to choose from, or you can make a one-time donation. Donations can be made at FOCUS Detroit’s website here.

Volunteer Your Time: FOCUS Detroit has hundreds of volunteers who join the organization to serve the needs of children, families, and schools experiencing the effects of poverty. Volunteer positions such as clerical, tutor, and more are ways you can give back.

Contact: If you would like to make a donation or register to volunteer at FOCUS Detroit, you can call the following number (248) 671-4483 or email the organization at Detroit@focusna.org.

 

 

Freedom House Detroit

Where: 2630 W. Lafayette Blvd, Detroit, MI 48216

Who: Nestled in the shadow of the Ambassador Bridge, Freedom House Detroit (FHD) serves people seeking asylum from persecution in their home countries. FHD is the only organization nationwide to provide complete wrap-around services to these survivors at no cost to them.

At Freedom House Detroit, their residents receive legal assistance, medical and mental health access, housing, English language tutoring, employment readiness training, and case management services.

Special Fundraiser: This year, Freedom House Detroit is part of the Quicken Loans Charity Challenge! The organizations that raise the most money win grand prize cash donations.

When: The Challenge starts on Monday, November 27th at 12 P.M. ET. A total of $100,000 will be given to organizations in the Challenge. To help, please join the Freedom House Detroit team as a Fundraiser. It takes less than five minutes to set up.

All you have to do is GO HERE and click “Join the Team.”

Make a Donation: Can’t fundraise? Please donate HERE.

Contact: If you would like to contact Freedom House Detroit, you can call (313) 964 – 4320  or visit FHD’s official website HERE.

 

 

Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit— #GivingGoodsDay

Where: 3111 Grand River Ave, Detroit, MI 48208

Special Service Project: This year, instead of calling for donations, Goodwill Detroit is coordinating #GivingGoodsDay— a community-wide service project. On Giving Tuesday (November 28th), Goodwill will give out care packages to families in need in the Detroit community.

Make a Donation: Here are the items you can donate to Goodwill.

  • Toothpaste (1) – full size
  • Toothbrush (2)
  • Chapstick/Vaseline
  • Deodorant (1) – unisex
  • Tissues (1 box
  • Diapers, by needed basis (26-36 ct. packs)
  • Mini first aid kit
  • Hats
  • Gloves
  • Socks (M/F/Y)
  • Snack (cup of soup or granola bar)

Volunteer Your Time: Goodwill is also looking for volunteers to help with assembling and distributing care packages on #GivingTuesday. The care packages will be given out at Eastern Market’s Shed 5.

Contact: If you or your organization would like to help assemble care packages or would like to donate, please visit www.goodwilldetroit.org/givinggoodsday

 

 

Heidelberg Arts Leadership Academy 

Who: As the Heidelberg Project (HP) wraps up their 30-year anniversary celebrations, they are embarking on a new vision for the next 30 years! This new vision is known as HP 3.0 and is focused primarily on the physical transformation of the Project site and the expansion of our programming.

Program expansion, in particular, is focused on widening their K12 educational programs to meet the demands of arts-based learning in the McDougall-Hunt Neighborhood and adjacent areas.

Heidelberg Arts Leadership Academy (HALA) is an in-school and/or after-school arts education program designed to empower students in grades 4 through 12 with the tools they need to be active change agents in their community. HALA students will engage in arts, academic prep, career pathways, entrepreneurship, service beautification, and social justice initiatives.

Through project-based learning and partnerships, HALA students will connect to a network of resources that include artists, organizers, entrepreneurs and tech innovators. HALA is also focused on collecting key and candid information from school staff, community partners, teaching artists and student participants on an ongoing basis to assess areas of program improvements and identify positive impact to sustain best practices.

HALA is currently working with Martin Luther King Jr. High School, Southeastern High School, Caesar Chavez Academy East and Marcus Garvey Academy.

Make a Donation: The HP is seeking donations to support the continued work of HALA toward program sustainability. Donations can be given via the HP website HERE.

**Note: A new website for HALA will be launched very soon! Check the HP website for updates.**

Contact: To contact Heidelberg Project, you can call (313) 458 – 8414 or visit the official Heidelberg Project website HERE for more information.

 

 

Shakespeare in Detroit

What: Shakespeare in Detroit (SiD) is running a month-long giving campaign. SiD will host giveaways for different donation levels that range from restaurant gift cards, Starbucks gift sets, and tickets to a live comedy
show.

Individual givers make up 70% of SiD’s income each year and your financial contribution to Shakespeare in Detroit will make a great difference.

Special Program: SiD is hosting a staged reading series that will support their 2018 summer season. Starting in December and going through the beginning of 2018 SiD will be performing staged readings of different Shakespeare and non-Shakespeare pieces around Detroit.

December Shows: Shakespeare in Detroit has announced the performances of Othello on December 9th at the Jam Handy and A Christmas Carol on December 23rd at the Scarab Club. Tickets are $15 per person.

Contact: Visit Shakespeare in Detroit’s Giving Tuesday campaign HERE.

To order your tickets to SiD’s Othello, you can purchase your tickets HERE.

Tickets to SiD’s A Christmas Carol can be purchased HERE.

You can also email SiD at Info@ShakespeareInDetroit.com.

Official Website: Visit Shakespeare in Detroit’s official website for more information.

 

 

 

Make the season bright and consider giving back on #GivingTuesday! 

Happy Holidays! xo

 

 

P.S.- The ladies of the GIVEClub love giving back to the community.

 

 

 

Written by

Jennifer Hamra

Freelance creative Jennifer Hamra created her blog Good Life Detroit in 2015 after relocating from Tennessee to Southeast Michigan.

Inspired by her love for personal blogging and photography, Jennifer likes to share her favorite Detroit things, from cool places to visit (the hidden gems are her favorite!) to the amazing people she has connected with over the years.

When she's not busy juggling family life and her creative projects, you can find her at an art gallery, community event, farmers market, or spending quiet time at home with a good book and cup of tea.

Jennifer lives in the metro Detroit area with her husband Travis and their six children.

Connect with Jennifer on social media @goodlifedetroit on all social media platforms or via email at [email protected].