Giving back | Charlotte Observer

Send your news about fundraisers to lbailey.charlotteobserver@gmail.com. Please send information at least two weeks in advance.

Home Instead Senior Care

Santa to a Senior: Home Instead Senior Care of Charlotte is teaming up with Be a Santa to a Senior to make sure that seniors are not forgotten this holiday season. With so many senior living centers in the Charlotte area, many seniors have no one to visit or bring them gifts this holiday. To help by purchasing a gift for a senior, visit www.beasantatoasenior.com.

New Leaf Foundation

Adopt of Family or Child: Every Christmas, the New Leaf Foundation provides meals, presents and a Christmas party for a select group of underprivileged children in inner-city Charlotte. This year, they are asking the community to help with two new initiatives: Adopt a Family or Adopt a Child to provide families and children with urgent needs. Adopt a Child is $50 per child which provides items like new coats, gloves, shoes and a gift or two from their Christmas list. Adopt a Family is $150 per family and funds will go for heating bills, food, and other basic needs. All proceeds will go to the children and families. The deadline for sponsoring a child is Dec. 13. The deadline for sponsoring a family is Dec. 21. Visit www.newleaffound.org or call 704-544-2774.

Carolina Waterfowl Rescue

Volunteer Day: Carolina Waterfowl Rescue, where water birds of all types are rehabilitated and released or adopted, will host a work day at the Indian Trail facility 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Dec. 12 to prepare for winter. Teens are welcome and service can count toward their community service hours. Email volunteer@cwrescue.ort to sign up. Visit the website for more information: www.carolinawaterfowlrescue.com.

Toys for Tots

Ayrsley Toy Drive: The town of Ayrsley's annual Toys for Tots drive kicked off recently. Drop-off locations include Ayrsley Town Rehabilitation, Fintastic, Hilton Garden Inn, Pi Kappa Phi, Regus-Ayrsley and Wild Wing Café. Locations outside Ayrsley include Mac's Speed Shop off Steel Creek and South Boulevard; Scott Jaguar off Tyvola; The Dorchester an Independent Retirement Community in Pineville; and Carmel Place Independent Retirement Community off Carmel. Email Chris@ayrsleyrehab.com.

Levine Children's Hospital

Gingerbread House Fundraiser: The Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge, 10000 Ballantyne Commons Parkway, will hold its annual gingerbread house display and contest until Dec. 26. Attendees can vote on their favorite gingerbread house with a $1 minimum donation per vote. All proceeds will benefit Levine Children's Hospital.

Katie's Kidz

Donations Needed: Katie's Kidz, which provides Christmas presents to hospitalized children, needs monetary donations to expand its reach to 11 hospitals for the 2011 holiday season. Started by Katie Greene at the age of six, the organization has grown immensely in the last four years. This year, Katie hopes to add three hospitals to the recipient list. One-hundred percent of donations go to purchasing items for sick children. Visit www.katieskidz.org.

Jacob's Ladder

Flash Drive: Jacob's Ladder is collecting new, unused USB flash drives (minimum of 256 MB) at both of its locations 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday through Dec. 19. Locations are: 2304 The Plaza or Jacob's Ladder West, Center for Employment Services at 2201 Caronia St. Collected flash drives will be distributed to their students. To learn more, visit www.jacobsladdercharlotte.org or call 704-332-5822.

Memorial Walkway

Christmas Luminaria Service: Our Children's Memorial Walkway invites anyone grieving the loss of a loved one to come to a special Christmas Luminaria Service at Our Children's Memorial Walkway and Garden 5:30 p.m. Dec. 17 in Frazier Park, 1201 W. 4th St. With a $10 donation, your loved one will be memorialized on a luminaria. There will be a brief service, and patrons can take home their luminarias to use during the holidays. Send the name of the person you want honored and make your checks payable to OCM Inc., P.O. Box 44153, Charlotte, 28215. In the event of rain, the service will not be held and the donation will go to garden maintenance. To learn more, visit www.ocmw.org or call Jerry Mudge at 704-509-6603.

Providence Road Church of Christ

Feed the hungry: Tonight at 6 p.m., a holiday musical, "The Christmas Journey," will be presented at the Providence Road Church of Christ, 4900 Providence Road. Admission is free, but non-perishable food items will be collected to help needy families in the area. The public is invited. Details: 704-364-0748.