We normally think of donating gifts and supplies around the winter holidays (like organizing a food drive to make a Thanksgiving meal or participating in a Toys for Tots program at Christmas) but shelters and organizations gather gifts for their families year-round. Last spring I had a few extra Easter baskets, so I filled them with small goodies and dropped them off at a local shelter. As it turns out, I wasn't the only one who thought this was a great idea:Shelters and organizations around the country actually collect Easter baskets to give out to families in need.I chatted with Lisa Earles, the executive director of Clive Community Servicesin Clive, Iowa, about how you can participate in your area.
Earles’ first suggestion is tocontact your local shelter or food pantry to see if they have an existing program you can participate in. If not, ask if they’ll accept extra baskets and find out what their clients’ biggest needs are. For their Easter basket program, Earles discovered that an actual Easter basket isn’t always the best way to go.“Instead of presenting it in an Easter basket, we give our items away in a reusable storage bin,”Earles says.“That way they're still cute and colorful but also can be easily repurposed by the family.”
This is SO cool. How can you NOT get behind this?