10 ways you can help Statesman Season for Caring program and its Austin area nonprofits
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As you are reflecting on gratitude this Thanksgiving Day, the local nonprofits that are part of this year's Season for Caring are grateful to the generosity Austin has shown during the first 25 years of the program. Together we have raised more than $20 million for our trusted nonprofit partners.
Season for Caring is the Statesman's biggest charity program. Each year, the editorial team selects 12 families or individuals who have been nominated by vetted local nonprofits in our community. All monetary donations go to the nonprofits in the form of grants. The grants are used to help the featured families first and then help hundreds of other people the nonprofits serve.
Season for Caring often becomes an emergency fund that nonprofits tap to hold off a client's eviction, to keep on a family's lights or to pay a medical bill.
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"Sometimes you just need to meet people where they are at, and Season for Caring funds help us do that," said Simone Talma Flowers, the CEO and president of Interfaith Action of Central Texas. Because of these funds being available, "we have built so much trust with all the families we work with."
This year, Season for Caring benefits local nonprofits Any Baby Can, Austin Palliative Care, Breast Cancer Resource Center, Community Action of Central Texas, Foundation Communities, Foundation for the Homeless, Health Alliance for Austin Musicians, Hospice Austin, Interfaith Action of Central Texas, Meals on Wheels Central Texas, SAFE and Wonders & Worries.
Joseph Martínez kisses his grandmother Olga Aranda Guzmán. After having to stay in the living rooms of friends and family members' homes, they will be moving into a new apartment, but they have very little to fill that apartment. The Martínez Aranda family was nominated for Season for Caring by Hospice Austin.
Here are 10 ways you can give this year:
Make a monetary donation. Now through Christmas, your donation will be doubled by the Sheth family up to $500,000. Go to statesman.com/seasonforcaring or find the coupon in the paper each day. You can mail your donations to Austin Community Foundation, c/o Statesman Season for Caring, 4315 Guadalupe St., Suite 300, Austin, TX 78751. Make checks payable to 'Statesman Season for Caring.'
Read the featured families' wish lists online at statesman.com/seasonforcaring and find the links to the families' online registries on Amazon.com. Select an item on one of the registries and send it to the agency through that registry.
Attend the Driskill Hotel Tree Lighting at 6 p.m. Dec. 6 and buy Cookies for Caring tins and ornaments to support Season for Caring.
Have your community group select a Season for Caring family and donate items on the registry or money. You also can host a party and ask your guests to make a donation to Season for Caring in lieu of a hostess gift.
Head to any P. Terry's Burger Stand on Saturday, Dec. 14. On that day, 100% of the profits will be donated to Season for Caring.
Each year, Grisham Middle School students adopt one family and then collect gifts for that family. It allows the monetary donations collected to help even more people and creates an amazing holiday for one family.
Have your family or workplace adopt a Season for Caring family and buy some of the items on the wish list or online registry.
Donate a service to a Season for Caring family. They need car repairs, gently used cars, legal help, home remodeling, plumbing, roofing, swimming lessons and nursing care among other services.
Give your time to help the Season for Caring agencies.
Patronize businesses that give to Season for Caring. Already this year, we have commitments from Firehouse Animal Health Center, Factory Mattress, P. Terry's, University Federal Credit Union, CG&S Design Build, Austin FC and the Driskill Hotel. More are being added daily.
Share Season for Caring stories on social media. You'll find stories, photos and videos on Instagram, Facebook and X.
Statesman Season for Caring logo
About Season for Caring
The Statesman will be sharing the stories of all 12 Season for Caring families throughout the holiday season. Find more stories and information at statesman.com/seasonforcaring.
All donations are being matched up to $500,000 by the Sheth family through Christmas Day. You can donate online or use the coupon on Page 2B and mail it to Austin Community Foundation, c/o Statesman Season for Caring, 4315 Guadalupe St., Suite 300, Austin, TX 78751. Make checks payable to 'Statesman Season for Caring.'
Use the form below or click here: https://statesmansfc.kimbia.com/statesmanseasonforcaring
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: How you can help Austin nonprofits through Statesman Season for Caring
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- General#SeasonforCaring,ThanksgivingDay,SimoneTalmaFlowers,JosephMartínez,OlgaArandaGuzmán,MartínezAranda,Sheth,Yahoo,InterfaithActionofCentralTexas,HospiceAustin,statesman.com,StatesmanSeasonforCaring,Statesman,AnyBabyCan,AustinPalliativeCare,BreastCancerResourceCenter,CommunityActionofCentralTexas,FoundationCommunities,FoundationfortheHomeless,HealthAllianceforAustinMusicians,MealsonWheelsCentralTexas,SAFE,Wonders&Worries,AustinCommunityFoundation,Amazon.com
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