The 2012 Holiday Give & Get Help Guide

• Click here to download a PDF of this guide.
• VOLUNTEER
  Give of your time... volunteer.  If interested in any of these volunteer opportunities, call the Volunteer Center at 715-421-0390. 
• Acorn Apartments (Wisconsin Rapids)- Home to 15 developmentally disabled tenants would like to have a group of grade school students make and/or collect holiday items to decorate the community room.  Groups who are interested in caroling are also welcome!
• Aging and Disability Resource Center of Central Wisconsin  - Volunteer during a special holiday celebration at the Centralia Center Senior Meal Site.  November 20, 2012 and December 20, 2012.  Volunteer together as a family or with your co-workers!
• Aging and Disability Resource Center of Central Wisconsin - Like caroling but not the singing?  Bring tidings of comfort and joy to your homebound neighbors by becoming a Home Delivered Meals volunteer. 
• Community Thanksgiving Dinner - Event is held at St. Luke’s Church, Wisconsin Rapids, on Thanksgiving Day.  Volunteers are needed to help in the kitchen, to deliver meals, to greet and wait on participants, and for set-up and clean-up.
• FamilyWize Prescription Drug Discount Card “5 and 5” Campaign- FamilyWize cards help people who have no prescription drug insurance save up to 30% on their prescriptions.  Please take 5 minutes to help 5 people.  Give cards away to anyone you feel could use it.  United Way of Inner Wisconsin will provide the cards.
• Heart of Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce- Volunteers needed to assist with office duties and selling gift certificates. Help spread the “Buy Local” holiday message in south Wood County!
• McMillan Memorial Library (Wisconsin Rapids)- Volunteers are needed for a gingerbread house project on December 8, 2012.  Volunteers are needed to assist from 11:00am - 3:30pm.
• Nekoosa Area Hometown Christmas- Volunteers are needed to help with “Breakfast with Santa” on December 1, 2012 at 8:30am at the Retirement Community of Nekoosa.  Volunteers are also needed for the Reindeer Run 5K Run/Walk on December 1st at Goodfellas - to assist with registration.  Event begins at 9:00am.
• River Cities Community Access- Volunteers are needed to videotape local holiday programs and Christmas concerts in south Wood County.  Training provided.
• Riverview Medical Center- Volunteer drivers are needed to deliver nutritious meals to area residents during the holidays and throughout the year.
• Salvation Army (south Wood County)- Bell ringers are needed for Copps, IGA (both locations), Piggly Wiggly, Shopko, Rapids Mall and Wal-Mart.  Bell ringing starts November 21 and runs until Dec. 26, 2012.  Two hour shifts.  Hours are Thursdays 3-5pm and 5-7pm, Fridays and Saturdays all day.  No Sundays.
• Salvation Army (Adams County)- Red Kettle volunteers are needed to ring bells at various locations starting November 16, 2012.  Two hour shifts.
• South Wood County Humane Society- Volunteers are needed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day to do morning cat care and kitchen help (dishes, laundry, general cleaning).
• Villa Pines Living Center (Adams County)-  Volunteers are needed to help wrap Christmas gifts for the residents on Tuesday, December 18, 2012 at 1:30pm.
• DONATIONS
  Give help for the holidays.  Call United Way’s 2-1-1 for more information or to get help.
• Holiday Gifts
• Adams County Angel Tree- Pick up a paper angel at participating locations:  Adams County Courthouse, Curves, Grand Marsh State Bank (Grand Marsh and Friendship), BMO Harris Bank, Nekoosa Port Edwards State Bank and Royal Bank.  Each angel represents a child and includes gender, age and gift request.  Deliver wrapped gifts back to the location by December 4, 2012.  Gifts will be delivered on Dec. 10th.  Cash donations can also be sent to:  Angel Tree Kids, PO Box 561, Friendship, WI  53934.   To apply for the program, stop into Adams County Human Services from Oct. 1 - Nov. 9, 2012. 
  Hope’s Door (Wisconsin Rapids)- Toys for the “Christmas for Kids” program can be donated through Toys for Tots.  People can also donate new clothing or gift cards by Dec. 5.  To qualify, fill out an application by Dec. 5, 2012. 715-421-2622.  
• Lincoln High School (Wisconsin Rapids)- Purchase a community candle for $20 and help a disadvantaged child.  Students in the LHS volunteer program shop for and wrap gifts purchased with the proceeds.  715-424-6750.  To apply for a gift, register through Hope’s Door.
• Touchstone Energy® Christmas Toy Drive (Adams County)- Unwrapped new/like new toys can be dropped off at Adams-Columbia Electric Cooperative Nov. 19- Dec. 13, 2012.  Mon.-Fri., 8am-4:30pm.  They will be distributed on Dec.15, 2012 at “Breakfast with Santa” at the Adams-Friendship VFW, which is free and open to everyone.  800-831-8629.
• Toys for Tots (Wood County)- Deliver unwrapped gifts to one of the Wood County locations.  Call 2-1-1 or visit http://wisconsin-rapids-wi.toysfortots.org for a complete listing.  Toys should be under $30.  Volunteers are also needed.  To apply for a gift please register through Hope’s Door.
• Wood County Human Services - Christmas Cheer Club- Purchase new toys for children of any age and drop them off at the Daily Tribune until Dec.13; or at the Wood Co. Courthouse auditorium on Dec. 14 from 8:30am - 4:30pm.  Cash donations are also appreciated.  Write checks to Wood County Human Services and mail to Attn: Jody K., PO Box 8095, Wisconsin Rapids, WI  54495-8095.  To apply for the program you need a referral.
• Food - Pantries, Etc.
• Adams County Food Pantry- Donate canned goods, dry goods, and personal care items.  Monetary donations accepted.  608-339-0273.
• Christian Life Fellowship Food Pantry (Port Edwards)- Donate canned goods, dry goods, and personal care items.  Monetary donations accepted.  715-887-3565
• Community Thanksgiving Dinner - Event is held at St. Luke’s Church, Wisconsin Rapids on Thanksgiving Day from 12-1:30pm.  All are invited to participate.
• South Wood Emergency Pantry Shelf- Donate canned goods, dry goods, and personal care items.  Monetary donations accepted.  715-422-2050
• The Family Center Food Pantry (Wisconsin Rapids)- Donate canned goods, dry goods, and personal care items.  Monetary donations accepted.  715-421-1511
• Wisconsin Rapids Elks Lodge 693 Holiday Gift Baskets- Donate non-perishable food and personal hygiene items.  Items can be dropped off at the Lodge Tuesdays 5-7pm, Wednesdays 4-6:30pm, and Fridays 5-8pm.  Please NO clothing or toys.  To apply to receive a holiday basket, families MUST be registered with Hope’s Door.
• Winter Clothing
• Wisconsin Rapids Area School’s Caring Closet - Keep Kids Warm- Donations of coats, boots, snow pants, winter hats, gloves, mittens and scarves are accepted at Caring Closet. Students can contact Caring Closet at 715-424-6730 x3174.
• Coats for Kids- Donate new and gently used winter wear (coats, snow pants, hats, mittens).  Every coat size welcome.  Drop off at Solarus, Wal-Mart, Rapids Mall and Immanuel  Lutheran Church by Dec. 20, 2012.
• Coats for Kids (Adams County)- Donations can be dropped off at the Adams County Sheriff’s office, the Times-Reporter, or Practical Cents.  Coats are collected through fall and winter.  608-339-4276.
• The Lowell Center (Wisconsin Rapids)- Donations of mittens, scarves, hats, gloves and non-perishable food items will be collected at the Lowell Center until December 17, 2012.  They will be donated to local charitable organizations in time for the holidays.  715-422-2783.
• Misc.
• South Wood County Humane Society- Donate crafts, Christmas decor and baked goods/snacks to the Christmas Bazaar which will be held December 1, 2012 at 940 Huntington Ave, Wisconsin Rapids.  715-423-0505.
• South Wood County Humane Society- Donate broken/unused Christmas lights and aluminum cans.  These items are recycled and the proceeds benefit the Humane Society.  715-423-0505.
• South Wood County YMCA Give the Gift of Warmth- Donate NEW, unwrapped children’s pajamas (infant size through size 16).  Drop off pajamas at the Port Edwards or Wisconsin Rapids YMCA locations November 26 - December 14, 2012.  The YMCA will connect with members in need that have children and invite them on Saturday, December 15 to select a pair of pajamas for each child in their family.  Remaining pajamas will be delivered to the Family Center the week of December 17th.