The holidays are upon us and that means different things to different people. For some, the holidays are a time with extra stress and little means. For others, the holidays signal a time to give back to the community. Listed below are options for those needing a little extra help and opportunities for those looking to lend a hand.
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The following is a list of agencies available to help folks who need food baskets or assistance with gift giving this holiday season. To make certain everyone who needs help can receive it, applicants are asked to choose from just one of the following agencies for their holiday-specific needs. Please note the deadlines to apply for holiday help vary by agency, but all are coming up soon. If you need assistance, contact one of these agencies as soon as possible.
Salvation Army, Juneau Corps Community Center
Address: 439 Willoughby Ave (downtown)
Telephone: 586-2136
Salvation Army is providing holiday food baskets and assistance with gifts. The program is open to anyone who stops by to apply. Applicants need to show proof of how many people live in their household. Applications for holiday assistance are due by Saturday, Dec. 15.
Christine Inc. and the Juneau School District
Contact person: Tiffany Mahle
Telephone: 321-2782 or 789-3941
Christine Inc. is contracted with the Juneau School District to provide holiday food baskets and other items to students and families in need. Tiffany Mahle is in charge of organizing the program; the student must first have a referral from his/her principal or school counselor. There is no income requirement. Tiffany sends an email to school officials asking for referrals. Baskets are picked up at the school or delivered by Tiffany to the home. If you would like to receive assistance through this program, please discuss it with your child’s principal or school counselor.
Love in the Name of Christ (Love INC) of Juneau
Telephone: 780-4090
Telephone Hours: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Mon., Wed., Fri. and 7-8:30 p.m. Tues.
Love INC is providing several services this holiday season, such as “adopt-a-family” and Loving Locals. Applicants for any of their programs need to first be Love INC clients. To become a client, call the clearinghouse at 780-4090 when they are open and talk to a case manager. Loving Locals allows Love INC clients to receive presents for their children as well as Christmas stockings (filled by the Coast Guard Women’s Group). The deadline for “adopt-a-family” and Loving Locals is Monday, December 17.
St. Vincent de Paul
Address: 8617 Teal Street (by Nugget Mall)
Telephone: 789-5535 ext. 7
St. Vincent de Paul does an adopt-a-family program. The deadline to be adopted as a family is Monday, December 10. For more information or to apply, please stop by in person or call Martha at the telephone number listed above.
AWARE Shelter
Contact: Call Mandy at 586-6623
AWARE is helping with food and gifts for anyone in need who was an AWARE client within the past year. Requests are confidential. The deadline to apply for assistance is Monday, December 17.
Helping Hands
Address: 6590 Glacier Highway, Space 82A (Lemon Creek)
Telephone: 789-4390
Helping Hands is providing food baskets. Stop by or call them for information. Their hours of operation are 5:30-7 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
The Glory Hole
A Community Christmas Dinner will be served at 5 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 25. It will be prepared by Congregation Sukkot Shalom.
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The following is a list of agencies that need your help to provide happy holidays to people in our community. This is by no means a comprehensive list of agencies in Juneau that provide food and other resources; the agencies here are listed due to their holiday-specific assistance. For a broader list of assistance agencies in Juneau, check out the website www.unitedwayseak.org or www.alaska211.org.
The Capital City Rotaract’s Annual Christmas Dinner Project
Website: www.capitalcityrotaract.wordpress.com
Email: juneaurotaractors@gmail.com
Telephone: Call Amanda Spickler at 209-7889
How you can help — donate money or price smashers. One dinner box contains approximately $50 worth of food items. Your donation can help provide a family with a complete holiday meal. Monetary donations and Super Bear Price Smashers can be sent to Christmas Dinner Project, PO Box 020347 Juneau, AK, 99802. Checks can be written out to Capital City Rotaract. Price Smashers can be mailed to the Christmas Dinner Project, dropped off at the Jordan Creek Center (drop box near Copy Works), the JACC, Mendenhall Auto, GCI, or handed to any Rotary or Rotaract Club member. The Christmas Dinner Project will collect donations through Tuesday, Dec. 18. After the boxes are assembled, Northland Services will deliver them to the Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul, and Catholic Community Services. Those agencies will then distribute the boxes to several Juneau families.
Love In the Name of Christ (Love INC) of Juneau
Clearinghouse telephone number: 780-4090
Clearinghouse Address: 9741 Mendenhall Road
Website: www.loveincjuneau.org
Love Inc is collecting items for a new ministry called Bags of Love. They need donations of pillowcases (gender appropriate for ages from babies to teens) and the items to fill them: books, small toys, slippers, coloring books, comb/hairbrush, and so on. Love INC adds toothbrushes, toothpaste and a blanket. The filled pillowcases are given to children removed from their homes, by a social service agency, because of neglect or abuse. Love INC is also helping Polaris House gather items for adults and children. Needed are warm winter accessories such as hats, scarves, socks, and mittens, as well as deodorant, shaving cream and razors. Donations can be dropped off at the Love INC clearinghouse. Please call before you go, to make sure a volunteer is there to accept your donations.
Salvation Army, Juneau Corps Community Center
Salvation Army distributes many holiday food boxes and gifts to individuals and families. To find out how you can best help them accomplish this task this holiday season, contact Captain Don at 586-2136. Or, you can choose an angel off of one of the Salvation Army angel trees located around town. Simply follow the instructions on the tree and drop off your gift in one of the marked bins by Dec. 20.
St. Vincent de Paul
St. Vincent de Paul needs assistance with its adopt-a-family program. If you are interested in purchasing gifts for children in a family, please contact Martha at 789-5535 ext. 7 or stop by the office at 8617 Teal Street.
AWARE Shelter
AWARE provides food and gifts to families in need who are clients of AWARE.
Please contact Mandy J. before Monday, Dec. 17 at 586-6623 to see how you can help.
Office of Children’s Services (OCS) - Gifts for Foster Families
OCS is seeking donations of new, unwrapped toys to give to foster children of all ages. Check out their Christmas tree located in Nugget Mall near Nugget Outfitters (the toy drop box is also located there). If you can, please have your donations delivered to the drop box by Tuesday, Dec. 18 (however, later donations are welcome for children who may be taken into custody later in December).
