Lansing Lists: Five local charities to give to this holiday season

Lansing has many local charities, non-profits and community organizations doing vital work in the area. I have picked five who I think are worthy of your holiday donation.

How did I pick these 5? All of these organizations are ones I have either: volunteered with (past or presently) or accessed a service of the organization.

Give us your feedback – did we get it right? Do you have others for the list?

These are not in any particular order but here are the five:

#1 Charity - Refugee Development Center - Lansing is home to a large number of refugees from all around the world. Most of these men, women and children have suffered terrible injustices and have lost their family and homes to forces beyond their control. When refugees come to America, they usually have little money, few contacts, and a limited understanding of America’s vast and complex culture. I volunteered at the RDC several years ago and met some amazing people with even more amazing stories.

#2 Charity - Open Door Ministry

I mentioned Open Door Ministry around Thanksgiving time as a worthy organization and I believe it strongly enough to mention them in this post as well. The mission of Open Door Ministry is to meet people where they are at, offering the poor and homeless the right hand of fellowship, empathic listening and solidarity in the face of intolerance, injustice and an inhospitable environment. Open Door Ministry provides hospitality and many other services for those in need. It is a safe place to go for those who might have no where else to go.

#3 Charity - The Greater Lansing Area Food Bank

This is kind of a no-brainer I have to admit, but the numbers speak for themselves:

• Estimated value of produce grown through the Garden Project: $362,000
• 650,000 pounds of prepared and non-perishable foods delivered to those in need
• Volunteers donated over 7,500 hours, valued at around $127,500.00

#4 Charity - Your local neighborhood center

No matter where you live in Lansing, there is a neighborhood center doing fantastic work to help make your community a better place. Often understaffed and underfunded, these centers are often the heartbeat of a community. They know the neighbors and they know their neighborhoods, and as a result are an asset for the entire city in terms of information, public safety, public health, services for children and seniors, recreation, food assistance and much more.

#5 Charity - Expectant Parent Organization

As a new dad I know the value of preparation and although I think it’s impossible to be totally prepared for the birth of your first child, I can’t imagine what kind of shape I would have been in without EPO. EPO prenatal education programs help parents by providing:

• Information about pregnancy, childbirth and parenting the newborn
• Coping skills to reduce discomfort and complications
• Support that reduces anxieties and promotes the individual’s ability to cope