Holiday giving opportunities available across West Michigan
Photo courtesy of Heart of West Michigan United Way
West Michigan residents can support families in need this holiday season through a range of donation and volunteer opportunities coordinated by Heart of West Michigan United Way and partnering organizations in Allegan, Kent, and Ottawa counties.
Programs include Stuff the Sled, a seasonal initiative led by United Way that pairs community sponsors with children enrolled in Head Start of Kent County and Allegan. The program provides each child with a gift bag containing an age-appropriate toy, family game, book, and winter hat and gloves. Donors can purchase gifts online, which are shipped to United Way, then wrapped and delivered by volunteers.
United Way also offers a Holiday Giving and Volunteering Guide through its Volunteer Hub, outlining seasonal opportunities in all three counties. These include donating toys, hats, and gloves; packing food boxes; volunteering at community holiday events; and wrapping gifts. Some agencies maintain online wish lists aligned with Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, providing donors with additional options to contribute.
More than two dozen local nonprofits are participating in holiday giving efforts this year, including Arbor Circle, CASA of Kent County, Children’s Advocacy Center - Holland, City on a Hill, Community Action House, Community Action Allegan, Community Rebuilders, D.A. Blodgett - St. John’s, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, Dwelling Place, Family Promise of West Michigan, Hispanic Center of Western MI, Hope College CASA and Step Up Program, ICCF, IKUS, Kent County Community Action, Meals on Wheels Western Michigan, Mediation Services, Momentum Center, Our Hope Association, Sacred Beginnings, STEM Greenhouse, Storehouse of Community Resources, THE PLAYGROUNDgr, YMCA, and YWCA West Central Michigan.
For more information about Stuff the Sled, visit https://www.hwmuw.org/stuff-the-sled.
For more information about the United Way volunteer hub, visit https://www.givepulse.com/group/1889092-2025-Holiday-Giving-Guide.
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