Giving and finding help for the holidays

If your group or business is doing something to help the community during the holidays, e-mail the information to editor@nevadaappeal.com, subject line Holiday Help, to be included in this listing.

HOW TO HELP

• Carson City Toyota Scion: has been a drop off location for Toys for Tots for 30 years. This year if you drop off a new unwrapped toy, you can enter to win a $1,000 Visa card. For more information, call 882-8211 ask for Dana Whaley.

Carson City Toyota Scion has also started the $93 dollar club to help out Friends In Service Helping and Northern Nevada Food Bank. Any donation will help - 93 nickels, 93 dimes, 93 dollars. Check out more of this story at Carson City Toyota's Facebook or at carsoncitytoyota.com.

If you need us to pick up your donation, call Danielle Diez at 882-8211.

Carson City Toyota Scion is helping FISH again this year by being a dropoff location for non-perishable food items, with two locations at the dealership. If you're in a hurry, just drive through our service lanes and hand it to one of our service writers.

• Holiday Food, Coat and Cash Drive: Michael Hohl GM Superstore will be sponsoring the Children's Cabinet for the Holiday Food, Coat and Cash Drive through Dec. 20 at both locations, 2800 S. Carson St. and 2910 S. Carson St.

Donations of any non-perishable food item, new or gently used children's and teens coats and/or cash donations will be accepted.

Also, Michael Hohl GM Superstore will be offering 50 percent discounts on oil changes and $500 discounts on purchase of new or used vehicles with coat donations, and 20 percent off oil changes and $200 off auto purchases with any non-perishable food donations. Certain restrictions apply. Contact dealership for details at 775-883-5777.

• "Friends to All" Senior Santa Visits: Santa and volunteers will visit seniors in their homes to deliver gifts. To make a monetary donation, make checks payable to Retired Senior Volunteer Program with a memo "Friends to All" and send it to Friends to All, c/o Fountainhead Associates, 312 W. Fourth St., Carson City, NV 89703. They also can use donations such as packaged food items, gift certificates, puzzle books, slipper socks, etc. For more information, call 884-0180.

• Angel Trees: The Salvation Army will have angel trees around town for those who want to help a child have a merry Christmas. Toys also can be dropped off at the Salvation Army office, 661 Colorado St. Call 887-9120.

• Angel Tree locations: The Carson Nugget and Danny's Ironwood Grill in Minden are collecting new, unwrapped gifts for more than 200 foster care children in Carson, Douglas, Lyon and Churchill counties.

Bring unwrapped gifts directly to the Carson Nugget and receive a $10 free-play coupon, or just drop your gift off at Danny's Ironwood Grill, 1776 Highway 395 North. For more information, call 775-782-3313.

• DeBug Computer, Inc. is collecting canned goods for the Evelyn Mount Community Outreach Food Drive. Offices are at 729 N. Carson St. 775- 883-3630 and 1659 Highway 395 Suite C, Minden 775-782-0303.

• The Carson City Host Lions are selling See's candy at the Carson Mall, Raley's and Costco. The proceeds provide eyeglasses and exams for Carson City youths and a scholarship for a Carson High student.

At the Christmas party at Grandma Hattie's on the Dec. 20, they will collect presents for the seniors at the Carson City Senior Center.

For more information or to help, call Rick Jackson at 775-885-9597.

• Sierra Surgery: The surgery center is raising money for Food for Thought and Angel Tree for all the Carson City elementary schools. Anyone who would like to donate to these causes can call Denise Howell at 775-283-3765.

• The Carson City Library is a drop-off location for Toys for Tots, Food for Thought after-school nutrition program, and the Girl Scouts of America mitten tree. Please call the library at 887-2244 for details.

• Drop-off locations for Toys for Tots: Drop off new, unwrapped toys at the following Carson City locations: B'Sghetti's; Bella Fiore Wines; Capitol City Loans; Carson City Harley-Davidson; CGI Manufacturing; Carson City Library; Carson High School; Carson Toyota; Carson Valley Inn; Children's Museum; Chili's; City National Bank; Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center; Decades; Department of Transportation; Christmas Store; Eagle Valley Middle School; Casino Fandango; Coleman & Company Jewelers; Gold's Gym; Home Depot; Chromalloy; Jacks Valley School; Jenny Craig; Keva Juice; Lake Side Properties; Doctor Smash Designs; Les Schwab; Marines Recruiting Office; Massage Envy; Raley's in Douglas County; Rite Aide in Douglas County; Evergreen Gene's; Sierra Gifts; Nevada State Railroad Museum; NW Martial Arts; Red's Old 395; Snap On Tools; Timbers; Two Guys From Italy in Douglas County; United Blood Services; UPS; Walmart; WNC Child Care Center; Wild for Smiles.

• Friends in Service Helping: After providing nearly 550 local families with Thanksgiving turkeys and side items, FISH has nearly 650 families requesting Christmas meals.

"With donations down this year, FISH still needs about 200 turkeys or hams to meet the need," said Director Jim Peckham.

Donations are being accepted at the Carson City location 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Meal distribution will begin Dec. 20 out of the Mound House and Carson City stores. For more information, call 882-3474.

• Michael Hohl Honda Subaru, 2910 S. Carson St., is participating in a food drive to benefit FISH (Friends in Service Helping) and the Food Bank of Carson City. Customers can receive $100 off market value per can of food donated, up to $500 on the purchase of a vehicle. For more information, call 775-885-0400.

• Casino Fandango, 3800 S. Carson St., is a drop-off location for Toys for Tots and Denim Drive. Toys for Tots is accepting new, unwrapped toys for girls and boys. The Denim Drive is accepting new denim, socks and underwear for infants, children and teens. For more information, contact Charlene (Denim Drive) at 775-886-1677 or Karen (Toys for Tots) at 775-886-1652.

• Freeman & Williams, LLP: Each year employees pick an organization to help in the name of the partners of the firm. This year, the office is collecting and donating to the Toys for Tots program. Donations can be made at the office, 3470 GS Richards Boulevard or by calling Lucinda at 882-3201.

• Jacksons Stores: Through the "Give the Gift of Peace" campaign, customers can purchase a paper dove for $1. Jacksons CEO John Jackson will match contributions up to $25,000. Proceeds will go to the Jan Evans Fund for financial support for victims of domestic abuse. Tax-deductible contributions to the Nevada Network Against Domestic Violence and The Jan Evans Fund can be made online at www.nnadv.org/donate.

• The Salvation Army, 661 Colorado St., has several holiday activities occurring at this time for which help is needed.

1. Angel Tree: Pick a tag off an angel trees and purchase a Christmas gift for a child in need.

Tags are located at all Bank of Americas, Grandma Hattie's, Dr. D'Ascoli's, Department of Education, the Firkin & Fox, Bank of the West, Nevada Appeal, City Hall, The Salvation Army Store, and more.

For general toy donations, you can drop toys off at any Angel Tree location or we have toy barrels at all Carson City Fire Stations and the Carson City Ford Dealership.

2. Food Barrels: The Northern Nevada Children's Museum and Les Schwab Tires are collecting canned and dry food goods for Christmas food baskets.

We encourage items such as canned vegetables, soups, fruit, chili, as well as macaroni and cheese, pasta, rice, beans, cereal, etc.

3. Red Kettle Campaign: We are still looking for volunteers to ring a bell and man our red kettles outside local businesses.

This holiday fundraising tradition is more than 100 years old. We encourage agencies, social clubs, youth groups (supervised), families, etc. to participate in our annual bell-ringers' challenge.

An award is given to the individual or group of volunteers, who raise the most money in their kettle within the duration of the Christmas season.

4. Distribution Center: On Dec. 21, we need volunteers to assist as shoppers to accompany parents picking out toys from our Christmas Warehouse, as well as volunteers to help carry food boxes and gifts to recipients

vehicles.

For more information, call 775-887-9120.

• Austin's House, the only emergency children's shelter in rural Northern Nevada, expects many children in crisis over the holidays.

The children are placed at Austin's House after being removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect.

The best donation to help a local child in crisis is a gift card to a store or cash. This allows Austin's House to purchase the exact gift that each child wants, even if they arrive on Christmas Eve. A gift card to any local store that carries both clothing and toys, like Target and Walmart, is perfect.

You also may donate gift cards for children's entertainment such as local movie theaters, fast food restaurants and bowling.

Austin's House also needs food to stock the pantry. Specific items needed are Goldfish and other crackers, trail mix, individually packaged snacks, Nutrigrain bars, frozen lean ground beef, frozen chicken, canned fruit in light syrup (peaches, pears and mandarin oranges) and canned soup. Other items needed are size 6 diapers and baby wipes, paper towels, toilet paper, napkins, laundry detergent, dishwashing detergent, dishwasher detergent, disinfectant wipes and computer paper.

The staff at Austin's House has also produced a 2011 calendar featuring artwork drawn by children who have stayed at Austin's House. Each month brings a reminder of a young life that was changed for the better. The 2011 calendar is $15 and all of the money will directly benefit Austin's House.

Call 775-267-6711 if you would like to donate to Austin's House or to purchase a calendar.

• Redrock Dental: Dr. Drew and staff at 220 N. Nevada St. are a drop off location for non-perishable food items that will go to Food For Thought. Items need to be easy for children to open on their own and consume without cooking.

Food For Thought provides food to needy children in our school district on the weekends when they are not receiving school meals.

Items will be collected through Dec. 22.

For more information, call Redrock Dental at 885-9446.

• Greater Nevada Credit Union: Donate your spare change at Greater Nevada's Carson City, Dayton, and Minden branches, which are participating in the Fill a Can - Feed a Family coin drive benefitting Advocates to End Domestic Violence.

For the credit union's branch locations, go to www.gnuc.org or call 775- 882-2060.

• The Douglas County Backpack Buddies Consortium assists eight schools (Jacks Valley Elementary, Scarselli Elementary, Gardnerville Elementary, C.C. Meneley Elementary, Carson Valley Middle School, Pau Wa Lu Middle, Douglas High and Apire) in the Carson Valley in providing weekend food for children who are homeless or in need.

Approximately 220 backpacks go home each weekend with adequate food for the weekend.

Food and monetary donations are needed to sustain this effort. Monetary donations must be made payable to Partnership of Community Resources and sent c/o Lin Larson, 1295 Bridle Way, Minden, NV 89423. Food donations can be dropped off at the above address.

For more information, call Lin Larson at 267-6737.

• Toys for Tots: To sign up to receive Toys for Tots, call 884-TOYS (8697) 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday until Dec. 17.

• "Friends to All" Senior Santa Visits: Santa and volunteers will visit seniors in their homes to deliver gifts. If you or a home-bound senior you know would like a visit, call Gwen Pradere at 884-0180.

• Carson Nugget Free Christmas Dinner: Helping the local community, the Carson Nugget will offer a free Christmas meal 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Dec. 25, in the Garden Cafe. The culinary team will be serving slow-roasted turkey, country mashed potatoes with home-style gravy, fresh cranberry sauce, green beans almondine and dessert.

• Economy Wash 'n Dry Laundromat realizes how difficult and dire the current economic situation is. For those who cannot afford to do laundry, call or stop in.

The laundromat, 207 Hot Springs Road, will allow two free loads of laundry per week for the remainder of the year, for anyone who asks.

Call owner Paul Gould at 775-887-9838.

"Together, we'll get through this," Gould said. "Happy Holidays."