Patch presents this year's running list of ways you can volunteer or donate during the Holiday season in the Plainview area now and in the weeks to follow.
We'll update this list with your volunteer events and donation opportunities. Just let us know about them.
Upcoming:
Saturday Dec. 10: 's Plainview location presents a special holiday food and toy drive. The Plainview event includes a live performance by Hazel Moon and a visit from Santa. Free, from 10-4. Participants are encouraged to bring both non perishable food items and new unwrapped toys; Long Island Cares estimates there are over 300,000 LIers hungry - which includes nearly 118,000 children. The person making the largest food donation - in pounds - at either All Music locations (the other is in Happaugue) will win a new Martin DC16-GT guitar courtesy of All Music Inc.
Monday Dec. 12: Blood Drive: In tough economic times, you can give a precious gift of yourself that will cost you nothing and could save a life. The annual blood drive, sponsored by the Plainview-Old Bethpage PTA Council, takes place on Monday Dec. 12. The event is at the Middle School, where a Blood Mobile will be parked during the school day, and continues in the Middle School Cafeteria after school and until 9:30 p.m. Bring valid ID Ages 16 with parental consent through 75. Must weigh 110 pounds. Free babysitting available. Call or email for an appointment: cmack612@aol.com or Colleen at 433-1587 or Julie at 349-7620 or Jill at 708-3090.
Ongoing:
- More than 550,000 people receive support and assistance from funds shared through the Roman Catholic Ministries Appeal each year, sponsored by the Diocese of Rockville Center. Feeding the hungry, providing religious education for thousands, housing the homeless, caring for the sick in hospitals and helping people prepare for the Sacraments are among the vital ministries the Catholic Ministries Appeal supports. To donate to this annual Christmas appeal, contact them at the Diocese of Rockville Centre, PO Box 4000, Rockville Centre, NY 11571 or call 516-379-5210, ext 2. Both parish and parish are members of the diocese.
- , Inc.'s "Model Mom Contest" has begun. The public charity, which supports breast cancer research, is looking for fit, active moms to be featured in our 2013 fundraising calendar. Most of the women featured in the 2012 calendar were contest winners, and nine are breast cancer survivors. Local moms may enter the contest on our website under the Model Mom Contest link at MomsWhoKick.com. All of the net proceeds benefit North Shore-LIJ Health System’s cancer research studies.
- Operation Homefront and Radio City Music Hall have teamed up to offer 20- percent off tickets sold for select shows to buyers who use the coupon code "HOMEFRONT" when purchasing tickets. A $5 donation will go to Operation Homefront, Tri-State to every ticket sold under this coupon code.This year's show is brand new, with The Rockettes performing new routines as well as all the beloved favorites. To purchase tickets, click on http://www.radiocitychristmas.com/homefront
- Tin Can Campaign: Here's the kind of effort you can spearhead yourself: Consider the efforts of one person's "Tin Can Campaign," sponsored by the Democratic Minority on the Nassau County Legislature. The program, the brainchild of Sarah Flammer of the Minority Legal Staff, introduced the program with a simple idea: Last January, each office was given a can where people could drop their loose change. In October, she asked each office to return the proceeds, which totaled more than $300 and was used to purchase about 350 pounds of food for the needy. Flammer has placed an Island Harvest barrel outside the Legislature's Minority Staff office at 1550 Franklin Ave., Mineola. It will remain there throughout the year to battle hunger and hard times for many.
This is not an all-inclusive list: Help Patch fill this ongoing story with local charities and fund-raising events in the community. Contact Editor Joe Dowd at Joe.Dowd@patch.com. We'll update this list as we receive more information.
