The Givers

When we think of giving during the holiday season, we picture tossing coins into a red bucket or dropping a new toy into a colorfully wrapped box outside a department store, but local need doesn’t end there, and it’s not limited to certain times of the year. The people of Eastern North Carolina really know how to celebrate the holidays in the most lavish, colorful ways with Christmas tree lightings, brightly lit flotillas on the water, and parties that go all night. Another thing the area’s people know how to do is give. Community is strong in these parts, and the spirit of giving has always been important to the generous, selfless citizens around. Although we should donate all year round, the holidays are a wonderful time to begin. The area is laden with organizations who help people with food donations, clothing, or even time, and this goes for our neighbors of all ages and basic requirements.

As always, food insecurity is real, and local organizations want to help. For more than forty years, the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina has been providing food for families in thirty-four counties. Their mission is to “Nourish people. Build solutions. Empower communities.” Their website has a handy map that displays their drop-off sites, a link if you, yourself, could use some help, and tips to advocate for your neighbors. They also offer nutrition education, disaster relief, and a workforce program which helps people find employment. Another local group who aims to feed the hungry is Children Healthy Eating on Weekends (CHEW!) which provides backpacks filled with weekend meals to students in thirty-five schools in Onslow County. A quick visit to their website offers information about what their specific requests are, where you can find a local drive, and how to donate, sponsor a child, or even host your own food drive for CHEW!. Food drives are important during the holiday season and all year round, but that is not where our local needs end, and they’re not limited to Onslow County.

Although lack of food is a crisis in many area communities, adequate shelter is in demand as well. Family Promise of Carteret County (FPCC) provides “lodging, meals, and compassionate assistance” to homeless families with children. They also have a day center that assists people with phones, internet, and a network of social services. Like FPCC, the Onslow Women’s Shelter recognizes that everyone deserves a safe space. They have a confidential, thirty-nine bed shelter with twenty-four-hour staff for victims of domestic violence or sexual assault, and their children, who must relocate. They also have court advocacy, support groups, case management, and their services provide resources for men as well as women. Safe Haven of Pender County is another important resource for victims of domestic violence. They provide emergency shelter, crisis intervention, and empowerment services for adults and children to name a few.  

Some organizations don’t fit neatly into a box like food pantries and safe places, but offer their services to various people. Onslow Community Outreach helps by “providing hope to families and individuals through food, shelter and medical services.” Visit their website where they provide a handy “donate” button if you would like to help, and you may also learn about their free dental clinic, soup kitchen, or Christmas Cheer. The holidays are not only for the young; our aging community members could use some assistance as well. Friends of the Aging offers financial assistance for emergency expenses for qualifying seniors fifty-five years of age or older. They also help with essential supplies, and if they cannot help on their own, they will assist those in need with finding outside resources all year round.

Not all celebrate Christmas, but Onslow County Be the Light 2023 does. They work tirelessly to provide a cheer-filled holiday party for Onslow County's children in foster care. Not only do the children receive gifts, but they are offered a sense of community with others who are going through similar experiences. April Lee Landin of the organization says, “Onslow County is special and filled with the most generous people, and without them, the entire event wouldn’t be a success.”

Click on the links provided in this post to see how you can help, but don’t limit your giving to the organizations listed here. Take a look around, ask friends, or search online for a charitable group nearest you. Whether it’s a coat drive to keep our local kiddos warm, some food to feed the bellies of our hungry neighbors, or even time and muscle to help a local organization, the holidays are the perfect time to get into the habit of giving. Mr. Rogers once said, "When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers.'" Let's all be helpers this holiday season, and all year long.