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Finance & Administrative Services

2023 Holiday Giving Challenge

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6th Annual Holiday Giving Challenge

From Wednesday, November 15 through Friday, December 22, our colleagues collaborated with others to contribute time and/or resources to worthy causes throughout our community. Please find our Holiday Giving Challenge Report here.

Giving Opportunities

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  • Animals

    Foster an animal over the holidays:

    LYFF - Love Your Feral Felines

    LYFF is a 501(c)3 non-profit animal rescue group. LYFF mainly focuses on educating about and managing feral cat populations, fostering adoptable cats, and offering no/low-cost spaying and neutering of pets to north SD county residents. Our very own Amanda Umphrey has been volunteering with them for nearly 4 years! Amanda is happy to answer any questions!

    Check out the LYFF volunteer opportunities.

    Frosted Faces Foundation

    Senior Animal Advocates

    • Help socialize senior dogs onsite in Ramona
    • Join the Frosted Fakers Hike on Sundays in Ramona area
    • Foster a senior dog for two weeks on a Frosted Fling

    Last Chance at Life Dog Rescue

    • Donate items from the LCAL Wishlist
    • Walk dogs in Oceanside from 11:30-1:30pm

    Rescue Dog Transport or Fostering for Amazing Strays

    • Help get dogs to and from important vet appointments

    Snuggles Project

    • Crochet, knit or quilt blankets for shelter animals
  • Donations & Fundraising

    OHR's Angel Tree

    The Office of Human Resources has partnered with a local afterschool program to provide gifts during the holiday season to elementary students in need. Every child deserves a speck of joy during the holidays. The organization we have selected, offers free tuition to a safe and enriching after-school program for eligible families. Some of these families struggle with food, housing and/or financial insecurity. Let’s us be a child’s reason to smile this season.

    Beginning November 29th,  you can stop by the Office of Human Resources, Administrative 1200, and select an ornament. Each ornament will contain the profile of a child which includes their clothing size, shoe size and general likes – we do not require that each item on the list be obtained, and gifts should be valued at no more than $25. Wrapped gifts are due back to the Office of Human Resources no later than Thursday, December 15th at 2:00pm.

    If you are not onsite to pick up a child’s ornament, please email hr@csusm.edu and we can provide a profile.

    Brother Benno's

    • Donate lunch goods that Brother Benno's uses during their weekly lunch distributions OR new children's pjs and stocking stuffers for their Children's Christmas giveaway

    Care Packages

    • assemble care packages to hand out as a random act of kindness

    CSUSM Sick & Vacation Time Donation

    • Donate sick and/or vacation time to a CSUSM staff/faculty member who may be in need of a catastrophic leave donation

    Feeding San Diego

    • Donate funds to help provide meals to families and children in San Diego

    Salvation Army Kettle & Bell - Virtual Fundraiser

    • Host an online Red Kettle drive

    Wishlist Giving:

  • Food & Clothing Drives

    Alpha Project Donation Drive

    Virtual

    • Organize donation drives for items like: hygiene items (shampoo, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, etc...), pillows, pillowcases, twin sheets, undergarments, socks, shoes, blankets and bottled water for distribution to homeless populations

    Blanket Drive 

    • Help PATH (People Assisting the Homeless) reach their goal of providing fleece blankets for local homeless populations.

    Holiday Basket Drive

    • Host a virtual or contactless drive through donation drive to provide coats, food, and blanket to North County families in need

    Mother Bear Project

    • Knit homemade teddy bears for children affected by HIV/AIDS in developing countries

    North County Food Bank

    • Host a food drive or donate a $5 Hunger Bag at check-out during your next trip to Albertson's or Vons

    SD County Food Bank

    Virtual Food Drive

    • Online shopping to donate via a SD Food Bank-hosted site

    SD County Food Bank

    Food 4 Kids Backpack Virtual Drive

    • Donate food to elementary school children living in poverty
  • Volunteer Work

    Brother Benno's

    • Pick up grocery donations from local stores, sort through donations, assist with donation distribution

    HandsOn San Diego

    • Find opportunities to sort children's books, arrange donations for military families, make no-sew fleece blanets, or help with a virtual Turkey Trot through this volunteer database

    Happy Mail for Arc of San Diego Clients

    • Write letters or send postcards to adults and children with developmental disabilities

    Holiday Cards for Hospitalized Children

    • Spread holiday cheer to children in hospital via Cards for Hospitalized Kids (CFHK)

    Meals On Wheels

    • Drop off warm meals to local seniors in need

    Operation Gratitude

    • Write letters or make holiday cards to send to service members serving overseas

    Salvation Army Kettle & Bell

    • Adopt-a-day to ring the Salvation Army Bell and raise money for those in need

    Women's Resource Center Thrift Store

    • Sort donations, help customers, and ring sales at the WRC thrift store

    Write a Letter to an Elder

    • Send homemade cards or letters of encouragement to senior community residents via Serving Seniors