Give to New Orleans This Christmas: Donating Gifts, Toys

Children Who Lost Everything Still Need Toys - Help the Gulf Coast Through New Orleans Area Charities

When you are thinking about Christmas charities, consider some of the kids who lost everything three years ago in Hurricane Katrina. This year's devastating hurricanes are on everybody's mind, but that makes it all the more important that we finish the job in New Orleans, while we also consider helping in Galveston and other hard-hit areas. Finishing the job will be hard, but one relatively easy part is helping to provide a merry Christmas for the children of New Orleans. Though there are certainly needy children in nearly every American community, I hope generous folks consider donating a couple of extra gifts to kids who lost everything. Here's a few places to start with your donations. Also remember most of these donations will be tax-deductible.

1. St Bernard Project
I recently spent nine months volunteering for the St. Bernard Project to rebuild homes in St. Bernard Parish, a suburb of New Orleans. I worked with many families that had lost everything and are still in dangerous, cramped FEMA trailers more than three years after the storm.

Most of these folks are industrious, working-class people who have toiled in the fisheries and refineries that are so vital to the rest of the country. They may have had hurricane insurance, but were told they did not need flood insurance. When Katrina dodged the parish but sent a wall of water over broken levees, they were left with nothing.

The St. Bernard Project is rebuilding their homes with volunteer labor, but the families still must scrape together funds for furniture, appliances and other home basics. Toys fall pretty low on the list, so every item for the children is truly appreciated.

Each year, the St. Bernard Project collects toys and distributes them to needy families. It is one of the most exciting, rewarding days of the year, and it makes a huge difference for the children.

Last year, I had the privilege of attending one family's first Christmas party back in their home. It meant so much to the children just to have a Christmas tree again - and their own space to play with their new toys. Please consider helping put a smile on those faces this year.