It's Snow Problem: Finish All Your Holiday Shopping with a Gift to Laurel House

Can't get out to the malls and stores today to finish your holiday shopping? It's snow problem!You can cross everyone off your list from the comforts of your house today while giving a gift that supports the families at Laurel House.

Here's one idea:

Sponsor the Children’s Program for a Day

The shelter is usually filled with children (there are currently 16 children in the shelter today!) and we also have children living in our transitional housing apartments. Our Children’s Program costs approximately $180 a day.

You can Sponsor a Day in the Children's Program for $180 ... or a half day for $90, or a quarter of a day for $45.

Your gift will pay for needed supplies for the children’s playroom at the Shelter, fund a trained Children’s Advocate to work with the moms and kids in our Transitional Housing Program, and make it possible for a Laurel House staff member or volunteer to supervise the children in our Shelter to give their mothers a small, but much appreciated, break.

We'll even take care of acknowledging your gift directly to the person you are donating in honor of.

To Sponsor a Day in the Children's Program, click here to make your secure donation online. (You can also use the same form to make an end of year gift, or a donation in memory or in honor of someone.)

Happy Holidays from all of us at Laurel House!

Santa's Workshop? Or the Laurel House Conference Room?

It's beginning to look a lot like you-know-who's workshop here at Laurel House, as our conference room is filled more than a sleigh with brand new toys.

Thanks to our generous donors, we have an abundance of toys to give to the children in our housing and counseling programs during the holiday season. Already, the children have enjoyed several festive events in celebration of Hanukkah, Christmas, and soon, Kwanzaa.

We now have more than enough toys for the kids, but if you are still wishing to support the youngest survivors of domestic violence, please consider our Sponsor a Day in the Children's Program campaign. Here's how it works:

It costs approximately $180 per day to operate our children's program.

By Sponsoring a Day, your donation pays for needed supplies for the children's playroom at the shelter, funds a trained children's advocate to work with the moms and kids in our transitional housing program, and helps to make it possible for a Laurel House staff member or volunteer to supervise the children in the shelter to give the moms a small, but much appreciated, break.

You can sponsor a full day in the children's program for $180, a half day for $90, or a quarter of a day for $45.

This is a great way to recognize birthdays and anniversaries all throughout the year, or to remember someone special in your heart.

To make your gift online, click here to donate. (Remember to tell us what day you'd like to sponsor!)

6 Ways Your Grocery or Gift Card Helps Laurel House Families

"So, how do you actually use the gift cards for the families?" asked one of our donors.

It's a good question ... and it's one that has many answers. If you're thinking about making a gift card donation to Laurel House, or perhaps already have done so (thank you!), here are 6 ways that we use them to help a needy family:

1. We use them to purchase fresh produce, milk, eggs, bread, cheese, and other items for the meals in our emergency, confidential shelter. This helps to supplement donations of canned goods that we receive from collection drives.

2. Anyone who has moved into a new home knows that the first grocery bill is often higher than usual. It's the same for a family that's moving into one of the apartments in our transitional housing program. We like to give them a grocery gift card for that first shopping trip. Even $25 or $50 helps out.

3. We use Target and Walmart gift cards for similar purposes, too.

4. We have a counseling program for people who aren't ready to move into the shelter. Recently, we had a mom whose abuser was withholding food from her and her kids. They were hiding cans of tuna fish and peanut butter in their car so they wouldn't be without something to eat. We gave them a gift card so they could get a substantial meal.

5. There's always an unexpected need. Recently, one of the women's vacuum cleaners broke. A gift card helped her with some of the money needed to purchase a new one.

6. We recently gave a gift card to someone in our transitional housing program who had a special request. Her son is on his school's wrestling team and doing very well. To him, sports represents something that is constant in an uncertain life, and something he excels in. He outgrew his wrestling shoes and the mom did not have the funds to buy him a new pair. A gift card helped her surprise him with the shoes as an early holiday gift ... and allowed him to continue participating on the team.

To make a grocery or gift card donation, give us a call at 610-277-1860 or leave us a comment below.

Give Gifts that Give Back

Tis the season for gift-giving ... and this year, you have two opportunities to give gifts from the heart and that make a difference to others locally and throughout the world. Laurel House is participating in two Alternative Gift Markets.

Sunday, December 6 ~ 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
“Gifts from the Heart”
St. James U.C.C. Alternative Gift Market 2009
St. James UCC , 321 S. Limerick Road, Limerick, PA

The Alternative Gift Market allows shoppers’ charitable contributions to provide meaningful, non-material holiday gifts to worthy non-profit organizations in honor of their friends, families, and associates.

If you can't make it on Sunday, there's two more opportunities.

Monday, December 7, 2009 ~ 4:30 - 7:30 p.m.
1st Annual Partners for Families Alternative Gift Market
Plymouth Meeting Mall at the Church on the Mall
Print out the shopping list
Laurel House is among the local and global organizations participating in this event sponsored by Partners for Families, a nonprofit faith-based organization in Norristown that transforms the lives of families.

And finally, Laurel House is offering new Holiday Giving Opportunities this year along with its popular Alternative Giving program. (Click here for details, and here for Laurel House's online donation page to make a gift in honor or in memory of someone.)

In this season of giving, thank you for considering Laurel House in your gift-giving plans.

Laurel House's 5 Ideas for Simple, Unique and Meaningful Holiday Gifts

Every holiday season, we receive an abundance of toys and gifts for the women and children in Laurel House's shelter.

But we know the recession continues to be very tough on everyone, and we know (because you've told us!) that you want your gifts to family and friends to matter this year, to make a difference.

So do we.

This year, we've put aside the toys and material things to give you 5 simple, unique, meaningful, and charitable ways that you can help families at Laurel House during the holiday season and well into 2010.

Gift Idea #1 : Sponsor a Day in the Children's Program

The shelter is usually filled with children, and we also have children living in our transitional housing apartments. We have calculated that our Children's Program costs approximately $180 a day for supplies, salaries for children's advocates, snacks, etc.

If you need a special gift for the person who has everything ... sponsor a day in the Children's Program in their name. Just send us a check or give us a call at 610-277-1860, ext. 102 and let us know the date you want to fund.

(If you are unable to fund an entire day, you can sponsor half a day with $90, or a quarter of a day with $45. )

Gift Idea #2: Give a Grocery Cart of Food

When you are at the supermarket buying everything you need for the perfect holiday dinner, put a grocery store gift card in your cart. You just helped a woman in our transitional housing program buy fresh produce for her family!

Gift Idea #3: Give a Gas Gift Card

When you fill up your tank, buy a gas gift card for the same amount. You just helped a woman get to a class, drop her kids off at day care, or go to a job interview.

Gift Idea #4: Give the Gift of a Good Night's Sleep

Want a fun way to get kids involved in the spirit of giving? Host a sleepover with several of your child's friends and ask each person bring either a new pillow or a new twin sized blanket to donate to the shelter. (We can provide the stuffed animals and teddy bears to the kids in our shelter ... we've got plenty to go around!)

Will you need a unique hostess gift or a thank-you for someone whose home you stayed at over the holidays? Make a donation to Laurel House's shelter in their honor. (We can even provide a custom card for you to present to your recipient.) You just helped a woman and her kids have a safe good night's sleep during their first night at the Laurel House shelter.

Gift Idea #5: Give the Gift of Clean

As you are packing up fragile holiday decorations, put aside a few unused rolls of paper towels. With 27 people in the shelter, cleaning is a must! There is a great need for paper towels and cleaning products all year round.

We hope these ideas inspired you to think a little differently about your holiday giving this year and ways to help Laurel House all year round!

Ready to make your holiday gift? Click here and follow the links in the yellow box.