RNE Life

The season of giving

Charities help families across America during the holiday season.

Nora Turner, Staff Writer • December 9, 2025

The winter holiday season has been named the ‘Season of Giving’ for several reasons. One reason is the increased demand for donations to charities during the holidays. Charities and non-profit organizations help families receive food, shelter and joy during the holiday season. An estimated 44.2 million people in America are food insecure, and 92 million struggle to pay for household essentials.

Although current trends are hard to follow, The Salvation Army released an article on Dec. 26, 2023, stating the urgent need for private donations as federal aid programs (which provide financial assistance such as grants, loans, work-study, or property from the U.S. government to individuals, organizations, or state/local governments) continue to be defunded, expressing that non-profits such as The Salvation Army, Toys for Tots and Families Helping Families face increased operating costs.

Charities for the holidays

Families Helping Families and Palmetto Project

History: The partnership between the nonprofit Palmetto Project and Families Helping Families/WIS News 10 (Grey Media) began in 1990. The Palmetto Project was founded in 1984 to identify and implement new and innovative approaches to advance health, social and economic outcomes in the Palmetto State.

Mission: “Our mission is to identify innovative strategies to address the social and economic challenges facing our state, and put them into action. We look at states that have been successful and learn from them. Through unique partnerships with governments, businesses, civic groups, schools, and religious organizations, we then go to work, applying the strategies we’ve discovered to the ongoing work of building successful communities.”

Goal: catalyze innovative solutions for South Carolina's social and economic challenges

Donation type: Cash

Website and source: https://fhfmidlands.org/

Toys for Tots

History: Toys for Tots began in 1947. Major Bill Hendricks, USMCR, and a group of Marine Reservists in Los Angeles collected and distributed 5,000 toys to children in need.

Mission: The basic mission of the Marine Toys for Tots Program is to collect new, unwrapped toys and distribute those toys to economically disadvantaged children at Christmas.

Goal: Through the gift of a new toy, bring the joy of Christmas and send a message of hope to America's economically disadvantaged children.

Impact: In 2024, over 30 million toys were distributed. Books and games were donated to 13 million children.

Donation type: New/unwrapped toys

Website and source: https://www.toysfortots.org/

The Salvation Army

History: In 1852, William Booth abandoned the concept of the traditional church to take the gospel of Jesus Christ directly to the people. Converts became soldiers of Christ and were known then, as now, as Salvationists. Converting 250,000 Christians between 1881 and 1885. Their message spread rapidly, gaining a foothold all over the world. Today, The Salvation Army is active in virtually every corner of the world and serves in over 100 countries, offering the message of God’s healing and hope to all those in need.

Mission: The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.

Goal: To preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination

Impact: 2,479,842 people received necessary holiday assistance through The Salvation Army. The Salvation Army's holiday assistance programs provide food, gifts, and other essential items to those in need during the holiday season.

Programs: Food pantries, shelters, holiday assistance (Angel Tree, toy drives), utility/rent help, disaster relief, and anti-trafficking services

Website and source: https://southernusa.salvationarmy.org/midlands/

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About the Contributor

Nora Turner, Editor-in-Chief

Nora Turner is a Junior at RNE. She loves writing informational and impactful stories that cover big topics. Being able to talk and connect with different people through the program is one of her favorite things about being a journalist.