Here are a few Tulare County nonprofits to consider donating to on GivingTuesday...
Giving Tuesday started as a simple concept: a day that encourages people to do good, according to givingtuesday.org.
It follows among the busiest shopping days of the year for many.
Since 2012, the idea has grown into a global movement that encourages people to give back to their local community or national nonprofit.
"Whether it’s helping a neighbor, advocating for an issue, sharing a skill, or giving to causes, everyone has something to give, and every act of generosity counts," GivingTuesday officials stated.
If you want to donate or volunteer at a local nonprofit, here is a list of Tulare County organizations to consider.
United Way of Tulare County
This local nonprofit fights for the health, education, and financial stability of every person in every Tulare County, according to its website.
United Way is accepting donations through AmazonSmile and the organization's donation webpage.
To contact United Way of Tulare County, call 685-1766 or email contact@unitedwaytc.org.
Family Services of Tulare County
Family Services mission is to "help children, adults, and families heal from violence and thrive in healthy relationships," according to its website.
To donate or volunteer with Family Service, visit the nonprofit's how to help landing page. Donations can be made in one-time or recurring payments online.
You can also donate through the mail, over the phone and in person.
Mail your check to: Family Services, P.O. Box 429, Visalia, CA 93279
Call 732-1970 to make a credit card donation over the phone during regular business hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Deliver your monetary gift in-person to: Family Services' Administrative Office, 744 E. Douglas Ave., Visalia, CA 93292
In-kind donation items can be found on Family Service's Amazon Wish List. Items purchased from the nonprofit's Amazon Wish List will be shipped to the agency.
Tulare County Suicide Prevention Task Force
The suicide prevention task force provides training, activities, and education to increase awareness of the signs and symptoms of suicide risk as well as prevention and early intervention.
The task force is allied with Friends of Tulare County, a nonprofit that promotes the "safety, health, and well-being of all residents of Tulare County," according to the task force's website.
Donation are received by Friends of Tulare County and designated to the Suicide Prevention Task Force fund.
Donations help support Suicide Prevention Task Force programs and people in need of services.
Donations are accepted by mail. Checks can be made out to "Friends of Tulare County," add a note of either "SPTF" or "suicide prevention" on the memo line, and mail to: Friends of Tulare County, Attn: SPTF, 5957 S. Mooney Blvd., Visalia, CA 93277.
Visalia Emergency Aid Council
Visalia Emergency Aid Council helps roughly 12,000 children and distributes 1 million pounds of food each year, according to the nonprofit.
Donations are used to provide food to hungry families with children, and individuals in Tulare County.
To learn more about ways to volunteer, visit www.veac.org/volunteer. To donate, visit www.veac.org/give-now.
FoodLink for Tulare County
This year, FoodLink has a GivingTuesday goal: raise $10,000 to support its efforts of create "a healthy and hunger-free Tulare County."
Here's how your donations help FoodLink:
$10 = 45 pounds of produce
$50 = Support the delivery of 250 meals
$100 = A month supply of Smart Packs for four children
$250 = Supports a small school’s farmers market
$10,000 = 40,000 meals
To donate, visit foodlinktc.org.
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sequoias
The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sequoias is focused on helping all young people, especially those who need it the most, to become responsible, caring and productive members of society, according to its website.
There are seven Boys & Girls Clubs in Tulare County: Woodlake, Ivanhoe, Strathmore, Exeter, Farmersville, Visalia and Tulare.
To donate, visit bgcsequoias.org/donate. To learn about volunteer opportunities, visit bgcsequoias.org/volunteer.
The Source LGBT+ Center
The Source offers the local LGBT+ community meeting spaces, trans and youth programs, food pantry, lending library, HIV services, support groups, and more.
The Campus, located near Lincoln Oval Park, is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Donations go toward "creating spaces within our community for LGBTQ+ people to learn, grow, belong, transform, question, and support," according to the nonprofit. For more information, visit www.thesourcelgbt.org/take-action.
Valley Oak SPCA
Valley Oak SPCA officials said they rely on donations to keep the Visalia facility running according to the "highest and most humane standards." Donations are also used to make improvements and continue humane education within Tulare County.
There are several ways to make an online donation:
General donation
Memorial/honor gifts
Reoccurring donations
Donations can also be made by calling 651-1111 or mailing a check to Valley Oak SPCA, Attn: Development Department, 9405 W. Goshen Ave., Visalia, CA 93291.
More ways to take action on Giving Tuesday:
Advocate for a cause: Share posts and stories from causes you support. Tell everyone why they mean so much to you and how others can support them too.
Perform acts of generosity: Challenge yourself and your friends and family members to daily acts of generosity.
Inspire your network: Participate in the "Acts of Generosity" social media challenge by sharing how you give using the hashtag #GiveWhereYouLiveTC & #GivingTuesday and tagging friends, family, and co-workers to join the generosity movement.
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Looking for ways to celebrate GivingTuesday? Here's how you can help
