November begins Katy's season of giving so we've unearthed tons of volunteer opportunities for you and your family. Take Katy Magazine's 30 Days of Giving Challenge and see how many 'give backs' you can do this month. Ready, set, go!
KATY MAGAZINE I NOVEMBER 2018
by Katrina Katsarelis
1. Bring Joy to a Small Child
Enlist the kids to help fill a shoe box or two with new toys and trinkets for a specific child by age/gender. Drop off at any Katy Area Operation Christmas Child Location from 11/12-11/19. Your shoe box of toys will be sent to a needy child in another country.
2. Donate a Turkey
Donate a 10-15 pound turkey to the Katy Christian Ministries to help feed needy families. Their goal is to get 300 by Thanksgiving. Drop off at the Food Pantry at 5506 First Street in Katy.
3. Do Crafts with Some Seniors
Plan and host a craft time for the sweet seniors at Legacy at Falcon Point or other Katy Area senior center. Most welcome community volunteers and friendly visitors.
4. Go Shopping and Have Lunch
Visit the gift shop and have lunch at Brookwood Community. Brookwood creates on site job programs for adults with disabilities.
Project Linus accepts new homemade blankets that are given to children in need. The have many patterns and styles you can browse on their website. The drop off location is at Quilt ‘N Sew 829 S Mason Rd.
6. Foster or Adopt a Needy Pet
If you can't adopt, apply to become a foster family/parent at Citizens for Animal Protection. You may be assigned to help a young puppy, nursing mother, or sick or injured animal that needs healing. CAPS also has a wish list of items you can
donate for the animals.
7. Leave Items on Your Porch for Pick Up
Leave usable sell-able items on your porch for Pennywise (benefiting Fort Bend Women's Shelter) and they will pick them up for you. Big items like furniture, rugs, art, clothing, tools, appliances. Fort Bend Women's Center helps victims of domestic violence or sexual assault.
8. Help an Abused or Neglected Teen
Host a holiday party, become a mentor, provide a meal, or donate new clothes and toiletries to benefit the teen girls at Krause Children's Center. This organization helps abused and neglected teens by providing housing, education, and counseling.
9. Play Music for Alzheimer's Patients
Sign up to share your musical gifts with seniors and Alzheimer's patients. Caregivers say music therapy for dementia patients results in calmer, happier residents. There are many Alzheimer's centers that welcome local volunteers.
10. Bake Cookies or a Meal for a Neighbor
Find a single mom, senior or other neighbor who would enjoy a little treat. Add a nice note to brighten their day.
11. Make a Memorial Donation for a Pet
Make a monetary donation to CAPS in honor of a pet that you or someone else lost at Citizens for Animal Protection. (CAPS). Or you can donate directly from their pet Amazon Wish List! CAPS shelters, rescues and places homeless animals for adoption.
12. Round up Blankets for Shelter Animals
Do a neighborhood round up of blankets and drop them off at Fort Bend Animal Services to be used in pet cages this winter.
13. Help Women and Babies
Buy diapers, pull ups, or other baby items and donate them to the Fort Bend Women's Center. FBWC helps survivors of violence and sexual assault.
14. Give Directly to Someone
Surprise your next pizza driver or food delivery person with a $20 tip or pay for someone's items at the grocery store.
15. Build a Bear to Donate
Go make a Build-a-Bear and gift it to Bennett's Bears, a local charitable organization that delivers bears to pediatric cancer patients and other ill children.
16. Feed Hungry Families
Drop off food items at the Eternal Food Bank in Katy. They are collecting canned tuna or chicken, canned stews or pastas, peanut butter, canned fruit, applesauce, juice cans or boxes, soups with meat or beans, breakfast cereal or cereal bars, pasta noodles of any kind, and dry rice or beans.
17. Be Santa this Year
Adopt a Family or child in need through Katy ISD's Santa Cops program or Katy Christian Ministries' Santa's Sleigh program.
18. Buy for the Next in Line
Next time you're in the drive through line, buy the food or coffee of the person behind you and see if you can start a chain of giving.
19. Serve Thanksgiving Meals to the Needy
Sign up with one of the participating churches to serve meals to the needy in Katy. They also accept monetary donations Visit www.katyfeast.org.
20. Help Katy's Homeless Stay Warm Hold a donation drive for Hope Impacts which helps bring restoration to Katy's homeless population. They need coats, jackets, hoodies, large blankets (adult sized) thermals, hand warmers, men's cotton boxer briefs, and other items. You can also make a monetary donation to this worthwhile organization.
21. Volunteer at Katy Christian Ministries
Volunteer in the food pantry at KCM or help out in the resale store. They also have other needs including crisis center volunteers, administrative support, event volunteers, community garden maintenance, and Santa's Sleigh volunteers and donations.
22. Buy and Donate a Toy or Two
Let the littles choose a new toy they would like to donate to a child in need. Drop off at any participating Katy Toys for Tots Donation Centers.
23. Feed Home Bound Seniors
Volunteer to drop off meals for home bound seniors through the Meals on Wheels program in Katy or find your own senior and drop off a home cooked meal.
24. Write an Encouraging Note to Someone
Send words of encouragement to someone in your life. A teacher, principal, pastor, neighbor, friend, coworker, or all of the above.
25. Clothe a Teenager
Donate new clothes, pajamas, toiletries, socks, journals, or other items for the abused or neglected girls at Krause Children's Center.
26. Buy a Poinsettia
Brookwood Community grows and sells amazing poinsettias each year. Buying one helps reward their hardworking citizens (adults with disabilities.).
27. Donate New or Like New Furniture
Katy Cares is in need of twin bed frames, tables, kitchen chairs, computers, and other household items to furnish their home for homeless women and children.
28. Become a Blood Donor
Every blood donation can save up to three lives. Give the gift of life by donating blood to the Katy Neighborhood Donor Center. Platelets are often used to treat cancer patients and expire in five days so ongoing donations are always needed.
29. Cook, Clean and Help Out
Volunteer to cook a meal, help around the house or yard, answer phones or fill other needs at The Ballard House. The Ballard House houses patients and families undergoing medical treatment at Katy Area hospitals.
30. Help a Single Parent Do you know a busy parent whose lawn needs mowing, shrubs needs trimming, or whose dog needs walking? Brighten their day with some help.
We'd love to hear how many give backs you did in November! Email editor@katymagazine.com