The season for giving!

The holiday season is in full swing, and dozens of charities are in desperate need of your help in order to extend the joy of Christmas time to those that are less fortunate. Silver Chips Online has compiled a list of local organizations that need your help in the immediate future.

AMC Cancer Research Center
Who: Minimum age 14
What: Volunteers will gift wrap presents for cancer-stricken patients
Where: Lakeforest Mall, Gaithersburg, MD
When: Nov. 24 through Dec. 24
Contact: Jerry Horwitz, jhhorwitz@verizon.net

Community Support Services, Inc.
Who: Minimum age 8th grade
What: Volunteers will serve a Christmas meal and run games/activities for children and adults with developmental disabilities
When: Dec. 25, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Contact: Margaret Serry'kamal, mserrykamal@css-md.org

Community Services for Autistic Adults and Children
Who: Minimum age 16 with adult, minimum age 18 without adult
What: Volunteers will dress up as Santa and his elves during an Agency Christmas Party
Where: 21515 Zion Road, Brookeville, MD, 20833
When: Dec. 22
Contact: Tamekia Ford, tford@csaac.org

Maryland Choices
Who: Minimum age 16 with adult, minimum age 18 without adult
What: Volunteers will knot shawls and scarves to give to children and families living with serious emotional disturbances
When: Dec. 1 through Dec. 31
Contact: Linda Knox, lknox@choicesteam.org

Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless
Who: All ages
What: Volunteers will prepare cookie-making kits including baking sheets, cooking spray, sprinkles, batter ingredients, cookie cutters, and colorful holiday cookie tins in order to enable homeless children and families to experience a holiday ritual together
Where: Volunteers can work from home
When: December through January
Contact: Jenny Willard, jenny@mcch.net

St. Patrick's Church
Who: Minimum age 12 with adult, minimum age 18 without adult
What: Volunteers will work in a toy distribution warehouse, carrying and sorting gifts
When: Dec. 23
Contact: Kathy Lyons, KMHLyons@aol.com

The Salvation Army
Who: Minimum age 12 with adult, minimum age 18 without adult
What: Volunteers will sort toys to be distributed to needy children
Where: Lakeforest Mall, Gaithersburg, MD and Montgomery Mall, Bethesda, MD
When: Dec. 1 through Dec. 31
Contact: Captain Christine Rojas, christine_rojas@uss.salvationarmy.org

The Holiday Project
Who: Ages 6 to 65
What: Volunteers will coordinate visits to area nursing homes and hospitals on major holidays, singing carols and handing out cards/gifts to patients and visitors
Where: Area hospitals
When: Hanukah and Christmas Day
Contact: Robin Wiley, robingwiley@yahoo.com

Washington DC Jewish Community Center
Who: Minimum age 10 with adult, minimum age 18 without adult
What: Volunteers will prepare and serve meals, distribute gifts at homeless shelters, paint shelters, and throw parties for sick children and visiting seniors in nursing homes
Where: Washington DCJCC
When: Dec. 25, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Contact: David Connick, d25@washigntondcjcc.org

Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic of Metropolitan Washington
Who: Anyone that can neatly gift wrap
What: Volunteers will wrap presents for those who have visual, learning, or physical disabilities which hinder their ability to read print
Where: Borders in Friendship Heights, 5333 Wisconsin Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20015
When: Dec. 24, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Contact: Mary Reyner, mreyner@rfbd.org

Northern Virginia AIDS Ministry
Who: All ages
What: Volunteers will wrap presents at a holiday gift wrapping booth
Where: Ballston Common Mall, 4238 Wilson Blvd., Arlington VA 22203 (metro accessible by Orange line)
When: Dec. 16 through Dec. 24, 12 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Contact: Regan Davis, rdavis@novam.org

So Others Might Eat (SOME)
Who: All ages
What: Volunteers will help to prepare holiday meals for needy families, and sort food, clothing, shoebox and gift donations
Where: 71 O St., NW Washington, DC
When: Dec. 25, 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. for meal preparation, Dec. 1 through Dec. 31, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for donation sorting
Contact: Sharmaine Diggs, sdiggs@some.org, or Tracy Monson, tmonson@some.org

Information compiled from the Montgomery County Volunteer Center