Community Newspaper Special Sections Holiday Gift Guide 11-11-2020 | Page 8

8 | THURSDAY , NOVEMBER 12 , 2020 | THE RECORD

Help families struggling this year due to COVID-19

Nearly half of low-income

Americans reported that they or someone in their household experienced some type of income loss during the pandemic , according to information published by Pew Research Center . Because more people are facing hardship this year due to the impacts of COVID-19 , more families in your community will likely be in need of assistance this holiday season and into 2021 .
Organizations like The Salvation Army estimate they could serve up to 155 % more people with Christmas assistance this year , assuming the resources are available , based on increased services already provided during the pandemic . In order to aid those most vulnerable , nonprofit organizations across the nation need your help .
Consider donating gifts in bulk at Christmastime , or explore other ways to make an impact and serve as a beacon of hope for those in need :
Donate food . Gathering around a table filled with homemade food is a treasured tradition for many families , but for others it ’ s a luxury beyond reach . Donating food to your local food pantry or other community organizations can help give the
HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE / ADVERTISING SECTION
gift of Christmas , ensuring more families are able to come together to enjoy a meal as part of their holiday celebrations .
Volunteer your time . Not all gifts require spending money . You can give back by volunteering your time to make the holiday season brighter for families and individuals who need assistance . Organizations in your area often need volunteers for projects like sorting food and necessities for care packages , serving food in soup kitchens or making holiday cards to send to nursing homes . Another example of how to get involved is through The Salvation Army ’ s iconic Red Kettle Campaign . Protocols are in place to ensure the safety of bell ringers , donors and partners , so enthusiastic bell ringers can join the effort and help raise money this holiday season .
Adopt a child for the holidays . Some local organizations work directly with low-income families in the community to identify their children ’ s specific needs . They gather information on each child in the family , including their special interests , clothing sizes and wishes for holiday gifts . When you adopt a child or family , whether on your own or in partnership with others , you commit to purchasing items on the child ’ s wish list to ensure they have everything he or she needs to celebrate the season , from food and gifts to clothing essentials .
Give a recurring gift . A staple of the holiday season , The Salvation Army ’ s red kettles raised $ 126 million last year . That amount could be reduced by up to 50 % due to the closing of retail stores , less retail foot traffic and an increasing unemployment rate , which would significantly limit the organization ’ s ability to provide needed services to the most vulnerable . Enlisting in Love ’ s
PHOTO / FAMILY FEATURES
Organizations like the Salvation Army estimate they could serve up to 155 % more people with Christmas assistance this year .
Army with a sustaining monthly gift of $ 25 can help meet the growing need for assistance at Christmastime and into 2021 . Your gift is invested locally , so you can be sure you ’ re helping rescue Christmas for those in need in your own community .
Another way to give money is by making a charitable gift in a loved one ’ s name . Many organizations will provide a card acknowledging your one-time or ongoing gift , which you can wrap and give as a gift with a note explaining the thoughtful gesture . ( Family Features )

Make shopping a breeze this holiday season

This year more than ever , we ’ re

all ready to kick back and enjoy a relaxing holiday season . Shopping online is a great way to get your shopping done safely and conveniently this year - in fact , the majority ( 59 percent ) of holiday shoppers plan to shift more of their shopping online compared with last year , according to the National Retail Federation ’ s annual consumer holiday survey .
Whether you love the thrill of holiday shopping or are usually more of a gifting procrastinator , here are a few simple strategies you can apply to your online shopping that will have you checking holiday errands off your list in no time , leaving you more time to celebrate with family and friends this year .
Make a list ( and check it twice ). First , make a list of those people in your life that you want to delight with a special gift this year . Next , create a workable budget for your gift shopping as a whole , then break down that budget per person ,
deciding who you might want to splurge a little more on this year , versus those that might be just as happy with something simpler . That way you ’ ll know what you can afford before your list gets away from you .
Start early . No need to wait until Black Friday this year to score incredible deals on everything you need this season . Beat the holiday rush by taking advantage of early savings and deals , so you can stress less and get on to enjoying the season . Amazon is kicking off the holiday shopping season earlier than ever with its Holiday Dash deals event , bringing Black Friday deals and discounts to all customers earlier than ever .
Start snatching up deals now at www . Amazon . com / holidaydash , on the Amazon App , or by simply asking “ Alexa , what are my deals ?” With new deals dropping every day , you can shop with confidence that you ’ re getting Black Friday-worthy deals and incredible savings on a huge selection of products , making it easy to
check everyone off the gift list earlier than ever . Best of all , online shopping means everything is delivered quickly and safely - helping you save even more time and money by not having to visit multiple stores .
Let gift guides do the work for you . Need gifting inspiration ? If you ’ ve got your list and budget together but are stuck on a few ideas , gift guides are the perfect place to start . Amazon ’ s holiday gift guides are easily sorted by things like price , age and areas of interest , so you can find something for everyone on your list , no matter the budget - just go to amazon . com / gifts . Still stumped ? Let Alexa do the work for you by asking things like “ Alexa , give me gift ideas under $ 50 ,” for more gifting inspiration within your budget .
Get more for your dollar with easy saving hacks . For many , budgets are tighter than ever this year - in fact , a recent survey conducted by Accenture showed that nearly 1 in 4 are cutting
holiday spending because of a tough year - making it more important than ever to get more for your holiday dollar .
Luckily , in addition to scouting out early holiday deals there are some easy ways to get the best bang for your buck throughout the whole season . Check out Amazon Coupons for special offers that are updated frequently on thousands of products - all without the hassle of clipping , and set up the Amazon Assistant to easily monitor and compare prices on all the products you want , so you can be sure you are getting the best deals on all the best gifts . Or check out some of Amazon ’ s lesser known options , like Amazon ’ s Renewed Deals , where you can discover professionally inspected pre-owned , refurbished and open-box products - or Bargain Finds , which is great for discovering unique gift ideas all under $ 15 .
Follow these tips and you ’ ll feel more prepared than ever going into the holiday season ! ( Brandpoint )