5 Top Christmas Charities for Children

Christmas is a time when many people look for special ways to reach into the life of a needy or hurting child and make his or her Christmas season a little brighter. With so many organizations to choose from, selecting a trustworthy and reliable charity for your special Christmas project may seem overwhelming. That's why we've selected 5 great Christmas charities to choose from.

Each of these charity organizations has its own unique distinctions, so take a look and chose the project that best appeals to your personal spirit of giving.

of 05

Angel Tree

Christmas Charities for Children — Image Source/Florin Prunoiu/Getty Images

Angel Tree is a ministry of Prison Fellowship, delivering love in the form of Christmas gifts and a message of hope to children of prisoners.

Angel Tree Christmas program connects parents in prison with their children through the delivery of personally selected Christmas gifts by local church volunteers who purchase and deliver the presents. Along with gifts, the volunteers take God's love and the gospel to children.

There are opportunities to get your whole church involved with the Angel Tree program. Prison Fellowship offers online training to coordinators of the program. Many local churches commit yearly to this program. It's a highly rewarding way to get the entire congregation involved with caring for some of the most overlooked members of the community. Often times the local church will even host a Christmas party for the kids, their caretakers, and family.

of 05

Operation Christmas Child

Operation Christmas Child is a ministry of Samaritan's Purse. The project invites you to pack a shoe box with small toys, school supplies, other gifts, and a personal note to introduce a hurting child to God's love. The small gifts of love and messages of hope through Jesus Christ are delivered to needy children overseas.

Volunteers are also encouraged to pray for the children who will receive the shoe boxes. When the shoe box gifts are distributed the children also hear the Gospel and are given a storybook that shares the message of salvation. Families and church groups can participate in broader ways by hosting shoe box packing parties. Even if you don’t have time to shop for and pack a shoe box gift, you can build a shoe box online for a suggested donation of $25.

Parents can also use Operation Christmas child as a unique way to teach their kids about giving at Christmas.

of 05

Make a Wish America

Hundreds of thousands of children in the United States have been blessed with hope, strength, and joy through the ministry of Make a Wish America.

You can make this holiday season special by helping a child’s dream come true. Make a Wish's unique holiday donation options will help grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.

Families might consider attending or volunteering at a local Make a Wish foundation event at Christmastime or anytime throughout the year.

of 05

CURE International

CURE International is a worldwide, non-profit organization with charitable hospitals and programs for children with conditions like clubfoot, bowed legs, cleft lip, burns, and hydrocephalus. Patients and their families receive the life-changing message of God’s love along with surgical treatment regardless of gender, religion, or ethnicity. At the heart of CURE International is a desire to give hope by giving the highest quality care for the medical and spiritual healing of children with disabilities and their families.

You can donate as a CURE Hero with a monthly gift of $39 or more, help support a CURE staff member, give a one-time financial donation, donate unused balances on gift cards, or even donate non-cash gifts of property.

Donations to CURE International literally change the lives of disable kids around the world.

of 05

Toys For Tots

Toys for Tots is a U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Program that collects new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and distributes those toys as Christmas gifts to children in the community in which the campaign is conducted.

Toys for Tots is a top-rated charity providing toys, books, and gifts to less fortunate children. To date, more than 500 million toys have been distributed and more than 250 million children have been supported through Toys for Tots.

Learn more now about how you can donate a new toy or give a donation to help make Christmas a little brighter for a needy child in your community.

Format

mla apa chicago

Your Citation

Fairchild, Mary. "Top Christmas Charities for Children." Learn Religions, Aug. 26, 2020, learnreligions.com/top-christmas-charity-projects-700779. Fairchild, Mary. (2020, August 26). Top Christmas Charities for Children. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/top-christmas-charity-projects-700779 Fairchild, Mary. "Top Christmas Charities for Children." Learn Religions. https://www.learnreligions.com/top-christmas-charity-projects-700779 (accessed April 18, 2024).