Pay it forward

[VikingsGuy]

Many of us may be struggling or facing financial uncertainty. However, many others are in stable situations - in a place to give help to those not as fortunate. The purpose of this post is to offer suggestions of ways to contribute. This is NOT a post to criticize or critique the suggestions of others or to debate the relative merits of various organizations. It is simply an attempt to provide options to those able to give and to prime our thinking. Even if none of the specific causes identified in this thread get a penny, but if even one Hunttalker is motivated to give to one of their favorite local charities then it will have been worth the 2 minutes invested in posting this.

There are no limits on type of charities. For some it will be local relief, for some it will be large charities. For some it may be about food and housing, for others it may be about conservation. No judgements! My one ask is that specific charities suggested/linked on this thread should be a 501(c)(3) if at all possible. If folks have more direct/personal giving thoughts you may want to start a different thread.

 

[VikingsGuy]

I will kick off with two suggestions for your consideration:

https://www.modestneeds.com

This is a 501(c)(3) that vets smaller needs, like a car payment or a medical bill, that often fall through the cracks of larger govt. and charity programs. You can either give to their general fund or you can actually pick the person in need in an area near you or a situation that rings true to you. Many of us were lucky to have a parent, grandparent or aunt/uncle who helped out with a few dollars when we hit a rock - but many don't have this familial safety net - I think of Modest Needs as that kind uncle that helped me out a coupe of times when I we just getting my feet under me.

My second suggestion is not a particular charity, but a class of charities in particular need this year, food shelves/banks. With literally millions of hourly workers finding themselves recently unemployed and with yesterday being the first "rent day" of this crisis, food shelves are expecting to be slammed in the next few weeks. Here are a few links that can help you find a food shelf in your area:

Find Your Local Food Bank and Holiday Food Boxes | Feeding America

Find the Feeding America member food bank nearest you. Over 200 member food banks can connect you with free food, food pantries, soup kitchens, and holiday food boxes in your community.

www.feedingamerica.org

Food Pantriess

We list over 16,690 food pantries nationwide. We also provide listings of Soup Kitchens and Food Banks.

www.foodpantries.org

donate food

AmpleHarvest.org enables backyard gardeners like you to donate your surplus harvest to a nearby food pantry to help end hunger and food waste.

ampleharvest.org