Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD) is a private, nonprofit agency serving nearly 100,000 low-income Boston residents each year through its central offices and network of neighborhood centers. ABCD programs and affiliations include fuel assistance, child care services, Head Start, education, career development, housing services, health services, family planning, intergenerational programs and more. ABCD's holiday toy drive is accepting new and unwrapped toys for children ages 1-14 to distribute to disadvantaged families. Financial contributions can be made at www.bostonabcd.org  or call 617-348-6553.

American Cancer Society, 9 Riverside Road, Weston, is the nation’s largest private funding source for cancer research. All money raised support the society's programs of cancer research, education and services for patients and their caregivers. Volunteers are needed to drive cancer patients to treatment through the Road to Recovery program and to help with special events, office support, education programs and patient service programs. Relay For Life is a great event to involve kids in the fight against cancer.  Call 800-ACS-2345, or see www.cancer.org.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay seeks caring adults to be friends to children age 7-14 and share great times together. No special skills are required, and volunteer Bigs are matched with great kids who share their hobbies and interests. Volunteers are asked to spend a couple of hours, every other week, with their Littles for a period of twelve months. To learn more about volunteering or to make a financial contribution, call 617-956-0281 or visit www.bbbsmb.org. To donate items, call the Big Brother/Big Sister Foundation at 800-483-5503, or visit www.bbbsfoundation.org for donation drop-box locations.

The Big Sister Association of Greater Boston, 161 Mass. Ave., Boston, 02115 matches girls (little sisters), ages 7-15, with an adult (big sister) female volunteer, 20 years or older, to form special friendships and spend time together weekly for at least one year. Other volunteers are needed for school-based programs that match volunteers ages 18 and up with little sisters for weekly meetings through one academic school year. The group mentoring programs for middle-school girls also need volunteers. Short-term volunteers, financial contributions and in-kind donations are also needed. Call 617-236-8060 or visit www.bigsister.org  for information.

Birthday Wishes in Newton Centre helps some 600 homeless children in local shelters to celebrate their important milestones by providing parties that the shelter staff and the children’s parents might otherwise not be able to afford or manage. There are multiple opportunities for volunteering, and families are encouraged to help together. They are also trying to expand the program to reach every shelter in the state. Visit www.birthdaywishes.org or contact Rachel Freeman at 866-388-WISH (9474) ext. 7224 or at rachel@birthdaywishes.org for more information.

Boston Cares is a nonprofit organization known for providing team-oriented volunteer opportunities and services, yet it also offers teen and family involvement options. Called BOOYAH for Boston’s Young, Active Hands, there are three ways to get involved, through youth and family volunteer days, group volunteer projects, and Teen Teamworks, a small group of teens who apply to the program during school breaks and they do workshops in the morning and volunteer opportunities in the afternoon. To get involved, visit www.bostoncares.org or call 617-422-0910.

Bridge Over Troubled Waters (Bridge), 47 West Street, Boston, offers a comprehensive continuum of age-appropriate services to runaway adolescents, homeless, disconnected, and high-risk youth ages 14-24.  Bridge serves over 5,000 youth and young adults annually. With a staff of 49 and volunteer force of 197, Bridge provides the following programs and services - Street Outreach, Health & Dental, a Transitional Day Program (a "community center" for homeless youth), Runaway/Adolescent Services, Substance Abuse Counseling, Education/GED and Career Development, and three Transitional Living Homes - all free of charge. Donations of warm sweaters, gloves, hats and socks in all different sizes are needed, as well as kitchen supplies and small appliances. There is also a need for volunteer dentists, physicians and tutors. For information, call 617-423-9575 or visit www.bridgeotw.org.

Cambridge Community Services helps at-risk youth, including new immigrants and students at risk of dropping out of school, to overcome barriers to educational and employment opportunities. CCS seeks volunteers willing to make a one-year commitment to mentor and tutor motivated at-risk high-school students, establishing a one-to-one relationship with a student and helping him or her develop life skills and pursue career opportunities. Call 617-876-5214 to volunteer or visit www.cambridgecommunity.org for more information.

Casa Myrna Vazquez is New England’s foremost provider of shelter and services to women and children affected by domestic violence. The agency’s SafeLink hotline (877-785-2020) answers more than 20,000 calls a year, and hundreds of women and children are served by its shelters and comprehensive range of programs. Donation needs include diapers (all sizes), new pillows, baby and children’s clothes from birth to 6 years, and gift cards for Target, Marshalls, Old Navy, Wal-Mart, Stop & Shop, Shaw’s and CVS. Please note the agency cannot accept any used items. To donate, call 617-521-0127 or e-mail dev@casamyrna.org.

Casa Nueva Vida, Inc., 53 Glen Road, Jamaica Plain, is a nonprofit, nonsectarian homeless shelter for 16 families that reaches out to Latina women and their children. It is the only shelter in Massachusetts with a completely bilingual staff. It helps families find safe, permanent housing and seeks to provide a sense of hope and direction in their lives. The shelter offers counseling, job skills education, English classes, computer instruction and tutoring for children. To fill welcoming and farewell baskets, they need small appliances (blender, can opener, coffee maker, small microwave, toaster), kitchen towels, set of flatware and dishes, bed sheets and comforters, bath towels, and toiletries. Children’s books and games and toys for children under age 3 and winter clothing in good condition are also needed, especially items for newborns (diapers and wipes). To learn more or to make a financial contribution, call 617-524-6332 or visit their website at www.casanuevavida.org.

Catholic Charities, an agency of the Archdiocese of Boston, has for 100 years continued its mission of building a just and compassionate society. Its 40 locations offer services such as child care and after-school programs, elder social services, mental health and substance abuse counseling and refugee and immigration services. In 2006, it served more than 200,000 children, teens, families, and seniors in need. The organization needs winter coats and clothing of all types and sizes for its clients. Volunteers are also needed for holiday assistance programs. For information, contact Carol Reilly at 617-482-5440. You can also call Carol or visit www.ccab.org/donate to donate toward food, fuel, utility and rental assistance in winter.

Children's Hospital Boston is a special place committed to advancing pediatric care, leading cutting-edge research and caring for families in Boston and beyond. Looking for a meaningful way to honor friends, loved ones or coworkers this holiday season while improving the lives of others? Make a tribute gift to Children's Hospital Boston. For more information, contact Michelle Wall at 857-218-3133 or specialoccasion@chtrust.org.

Combined Jewish Philanthropies, whose Jewish Community Volunteer Program (JCVP) is a clearinghouse for year-round opportunities, needs volunteers of all ages for time commitments ranging from two hours a year to one hour a week. Parents are invited to bring their children to visit lonely or isolated elders in the community, especially during the holidays. Contact Nancy at 617- 558-6585 or e-mal jcvp@cjp.org. You can also visit online at www.cjp.org (click on volunteer) for more information.

Community Servings delivers more than 3,500 free meals each week to clients in Eastern Massachusetts battling critical illnesses, such as HIV/AIDS, cancer, lupus, and MS. Volunteers can help by delivering holiday meals to our clients, “adopting” a client for our Holiday Gift Basket program, or assisting our kitchen staff in preparing our daily meal. Monetary donations and collection drives for food, gloves, and toiletries are also needed. For information, contact Viral Sheth at 617-552-7777, ext. 228 or visit www.servings.org.

Dare Family Services, 265 Medford St., Suite 500, Somerville, is a nonprofit social-service agency that provides mentor homes, case management and support services for abused, ill or neglected children. Dare also offers group residential services and parenting-skills training to pregnant and parenting adolescents, crisis intervention counseling to at-risk youths and housing and life skills training to developmentally, physically and mentally challenged adults. Dare welcomes donations and financial contributions. For more information, call 617-629-2710.

Families First, 99 Bishop Richard Allen Drive, Cambridge, strengthens families of all backgrounds and life circumstances by providing parenting education and support through seminars, workshops and consultations. Financial contributions allow parents to receive fee assistance, making programs accessible to all. Volunteers are needed to help with office support and serve on organizational committees. To make a donation or volunteer, call 617-868-7687 or visit www.families-first.org.

Family Service of Greater Boston, 31 Heath Street, Jamaica Plain, at 172 years old is one of the oldest non-profit social service agencies in Boston dedicated to serving children, youth, and families struggling with emotional, psychological, and economic effects of poverty, abuse, and neglect. Their fund-raiser, Crafts at the Castle, features dazzling art to wear and display from national artisans. Volunteers are needed for the show, which runs Nov. 30-Dec. 2 at the Hynes Convention Center, 900 Boylston Street, in Boston. The Opening Reception is held Nov. 29, with separate tickets at $175. Call 617-523-6400, ext. 5987 or visit www.craftscastle.org for information. Donations of books and new unwrapped gifts, such as toys, nightgowns, towels and toiletries are needed. Call 617-523-6400, ext. 5993, for information.

The Greater Boston Food Bank supplies more than 600 member feeding programs, including food pantries, homeless shelters, transitional houses and daycare centers for at-risk children. The Food Bank seeks volunteers for food sorting, special events and administrative support at their 99 Atkinson St., Boston headquarters. Financial contributions and food donations are also needed; see www.gbfb.org. To volunteer, call 617-427-5200.

Habitat for Humanity Greater Boston, Inc., 273 Summer Street, Boston, is a volunteer-driven, nonprofit housing organization that seeks to help low-income families achieve the American dream of homeownership in Boston and 26 surrounding cities and towns. Financial contributions (celebrating special events such as birthdays, bat mitzvahs, bar mitzvahs and weddings) are always needed. Children ages 16 and over may volunteer on our work sites, with adult supervision. For more information visit the organization’s Web site at www.habitatboston.org or call 617-423-2223.

Help for Abused Women and their Children (HAWC) provides emergency assistance, legal and hospital advocacy and counseling to victims of domestic violence and their children in 23 communities on the North Shore. This holiday season, HAWC requests donations of gift cards (for family restaurants, department stores, grocery stores, movies), personal care items, toys and multicultural educational games for children age 3-18. Please, no toys or items with violent themes. Call 978-744-8552 or visit www.helpabusedwomen.org for more information and specific items needed for its annual Holiday Store.

The Home for Little Wanderers is America's oldest and New England's largest child welfare agency, serving thousands of vulnerable children and their families each year. The Home offers residential and community-based programs for children and youth, from birth to age 21. Along with monetary support, The Home needs multicultural toys, holiday gifts for teens, sporting goods and gift certificates for clothing. The organization’s greatest need is for items for teenage boys. For information about its on-line Holiday Auction, donating a gift or volunteering, visit www.thehome.org or call the holiday gift drive hotline at 617-437-8538. New and unwrapped gifts should be delivered to the Toy Room, Knight Children's Center, 161 South Huntington Ave., Jamaica Plain, from Nov. 28 – Dec. 21.

Horizons for Homeless Children is a nonprofit that provides homeless children in Massachusetts with the nurturing, stimulation and opportunities for early education and play that all children need and connects their parents with tools to achieve social and economic self-sufficiency. HHC provides leadership in advocating for homeless children and their families through leveraging and sharing expertise with others and advocating with policy makers and the public. Volunteers, financial donations, toys, books and many other classroom supplies are needed. For details visit www.horizonsforhomelesschildren.org  or call 800-560-7702.

Hospitality Homes provides free accommodations in volunteer host homes for families and friends of patients traveling long distances for treatment at Boston-area hospitals. Host families provide a clean, comfortable place to sleep and access to a bathroom. Guests are responsible for meals and transportation. For information on hosting and other volunteer opportunities, or to donate to the program, call 617-482-4338 or visit www.hosp.org.

Hyman Novack Medical Day Care Program at Franciscan Hospital for Children in Boston, is a daycare facility that provides ongoing nursing, medical and educational services to medically dependent children, ages 4 weeks to 5 years. The program helps children with disabilities develop social and cognitive skills and offers home-health services, as well as services to families coping with a child’s life-threatening illness. Donations of new clothing, books and toys – unwrapped but with wrapping paper – are desired. Volunteers are also needed for the daycare center. Call 617-254-3800, ext. 1139, for information.

The Italian Home for Children is a nonprofit, nonsectarian treatment facility in Jamaica Plain offering a variety of residential and community based programs serving emotionally disturbed and special needs children ages 4 to 13 and their families. This holiday season, the Italian Home needs toys, books, games and DVDs or CDs (none with parental warnings, please) for ages 4 and up. Other staples that are always welcomed: batteries (especially “AA”), underwear, socks, winter coats and gift cards. Call 617-524-3116 for information.

Jewish Family & Children's Service of Greater Boston (locations in Waltham, Boston and Norwood) has for almost 150 years provided people of all religious and cultural backgrounds with vital support at critical stages of their lives from newborns and their parents, to individuals with disabilities, to the elderly and families in crisis. Volunteers are a vital part of JF&CS and JFCS could not possibly serve 30,000 people each year without their help. People of all ages and faiths generously give their time, energy and experience. For information, call 781-647-JFCS (5327) or visit www.jfcsboston.org.

Jewish Family Service of Metrowest, 475 Franklin Street, Framingham, is a non-profit, non-sectarian social-service agency providing a range of services to people of all ages, faiths, and backgrounds. Programs include adoption services and birth parents counseling, Geriatric Care Management, Home Care, citizenship, resettlement, support for vulnerable children, and many other programs and services. Tax-deductible donations help those who cannot afford to pay for services. Volunteers are always needed. For information, call 508-875-3100 or visit www.jfsmw.org.

Lazarus House, P.O. Box 408, Lawrence, is a temporary emergency shelter for homeless people in the Merrimack Valley area. Run by Lazarus House Ministries, the shelter provides a food pantry, soup kitchen, thrift stores, soup truck, medical and dental clinic, child-learning center, job-training program, home for those with HIV or AIDS and a 20-unit apartment building for transitional housing. Volunteers are needed to serve meals, mentor residents and help with childcare and in the thrift shop and medical and dental clinics. Donations of money, nonperishable food items, paper products, toiletries, adult winter gloves, new underwear for children and adults, twin and double sheets and new toys for older children are also needed. Call 978-689-8575 about volunteering and donations. See www.LazarusHouse.org for information.

Make-A-Wish Foundation of Massachusetts is a nonprofit organization dedicated to granting the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. The Massachusetts chapter serves children throughout the state and has fulfilled more than 3,400 wishes since 1987. Community and volunteer support is critical to its fundraising efforts and its wish-granting program. For more information about volunteer opportunities, please call Krista Bishop at 617-367-9474. To make a donation or learn more about the foundation’s upcoming annual Holiday Wish-A-Thon from Dec. 1-14 at the Shops at the Prudential Center, please call Jessica Coviello at 617-367-WISH. Or visit the organization’s website at www.mass.wish.org for more information.

The Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless works to prevent at-risk families and individuals
from losing their housing and assists those making the transition from shelters to homes with furniture and household items. The Coalition needs volunteers to organize a drive to collect new toys for homeless children so they aren't forgotten during the holidays. Donations of hats, mittens, gloves, and scarves to keep homeless children and/or adults warm during the winter would also be very helpful. Financial donations that can contribute towards making life brighter for homeless children and those newly housed with their families would be greatly appreciated. For more information, call 781-595-7570, ext. 19.

MATCH-UP Interfaith Volunteers Inc., 105 Chauncey St., Suite 801, Boston, is a nonprofit organization serving elders and disabled adults throughout Boston and Brookline. It recruits volunteers to visit elders and help with simple but crucial tasks through its Friendly Visiting Program. MATCH-UP also provides flexible volunteer opportunities, such as bringing elders to and from medical appointments. To volunteer or make a financial contribution, call 617-482-1510 or visit www.matchelder.org. Or contact their Jamaica Plain office at 617-277-5248.

Medford Family Life Education Center, 2 Central Ave., Medford, houses eight homeless families and provides crisis intervention, life-skills and parenting education, and support to mothers and children. Donations of new blankets, linens and pillows, toiletries, slippers, toys for ages 1-13, postage stamps, batteries, grocery store gift certificates and financial support are always welcome. Contact Tebogo Makhene-Goyau at 781-391-9116 or at tmg@shelterinc.org for information.

Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries’ primary mission is to provide exemplary job training and related services to help individuals with disabilities and other barriers to self-sufficiency achieve independence and dignity through work. Financial support and donations of winter clothing (coats, gloves, mittens, shoes) for children and adults, household goods, small appliances and books are needed. The organization also provides clothing for the Pine St. Inn homeless shelter and has a particular need for men’s waterproof ski jackets. New and gently used men’s and women’s clothing and winter wear are gathered in December. Drop off sites include Goodwill’s attended donation centers and stores, municipal recycling centers and ZOOTS dry cleaners. Call 888-828-GIVE or visit www.goodwillmass.org.

The One Family Scholars program helps formerly homeless and at-risk women achieve economic self-sufficiency and dignity through college scholarships, career development and leadership training. The current 2007-2008 academic class boasts 125 scholars who are pursuing degrees at colleges and universities. Their children also benefit from the stability, hope and example of their mothers’ successes. Visit www.onefamilyinc.org to learn more or donate.

Our Place Day Care Center, 402 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, is a childcare center for homeless children run by The Salvation Army. Art supplies, play-doh, underwear, socks, pants (4T, 5T), baby food and baby wipes are needed. Volunteers to interact with children in the classroom are welcomed. Call Collin Radix-Carter or Darlene Kopesky at 617-547-3400 for information.

Project Bread, 145 Border St., East Boston, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to alleviating, preventing, and ultimately ending hunger in Massachusetts. Project Bread sponsors the annual Walk for Hunger, runs the only statewide hotline for hungry people, funds 400 emergency food programs each year, and develops hunger prevention programs that feed hungry children where they live, learn and play. Volunteers are needed year-round for outreach campaigns and special events, especially the Walk for Hunger on May 4, 2008. Donations can be made online. Call 617-723-5000 or visit www.projectbread.org.

Project Just Because, 45 G South St., Hopkinton, helps families in need in the greater Metro West community by providing basic necessities, such as clothing, blankets, bedding, baby items, school supplies, toiletries and furniture. Donations and financial support are needed throughout the year. The organization also provides toys for children hospitalized during the holidays – it would like to take in more than 1,500 toys this year – and is taking in 5,000 families for its Holiday Packages program. To adopt a child’s holiday wish list, a list is available at the organization’s Web site, www.projectjustbecause.org. You can also call Cherylann Lambert Walsh at 508-435-6511 for more information.

Room to Grow, 142 Berkeley St., Boston, enriches the lives of babies born into poverty during the critical first three years of development by providing families with one-on-one parenting guidance, developmental information and support to give their baby a strong, healthy start. They need new infant clothing (particularly winter coats and pajamas for toddlers) and new baby books (board or soft). New and nearly new baby items are accepted throughout the year. Call 617-859-4545 to arrange a drop off or visit www.roomtogrow.org for more information.

Rosie's Place, 889 Harrison Ave., Boston, a sanctuary for homeless women, needs volunteers throughout the year. For the holiday season, Rosie's Place could use new children's toys for gifts. Please, no gifts that require batteries. Throughout the year, they need financial contributions, nonperishable food, toiletries, toothbrushes and toothpaste, hats, scarves, mittens and large-sized jeans, as well as new socks and new large-sized undergarments. To make a donation or volunteer, call 617-442-9322 or visit www.rosiesplace.org.

Smiling Kids Inc., 53 Richards Road, Southboro, provides birthday gifts and other items anonymously to children in need by working with local service agencies and public officials. Help by making a financial donation or by hosting “A Party With a Purpose,” which invites birthday party guests to donate to Smiling Kids instead of bringing gifts. For information, see www.smilingkidsinc.org or call 508-281-0069.

The Salvation Army, 147 Berkeley St., Boston, offers a wide range of direct, community-based programs through many sites in Massachusetts. It is particularly focused on services for children, including child care and after school activities, teen parenting programs and rehabilitation for juvenile offenders. Donations of new toys, food, and warm winter clothing are needed, as are volunteers for the Salvation Army’s kettles, and to assist with evening shifts at the Christmas Castle, Dec. 17-19. Or sponsor a family this Christmas through Adopt-A-Family. Year-round, the agency needs monetary donations, food and new or used clothing. The organization is also looking for 10 runners to run on its behalf for the Boston Marathon in April. Call 617-542-5420 or visit www.use.salvationarmy.org/mas for information, or contact Carolyn Brunis at 617-542-5420, ext. 182, to volunteer.

Toys for Tots is a national program that matches donated toys with needy children in the Boston area. To locate a store where donations can be made or make a donation online, visit www.toysfortots.org.

United Way of Massachusetts Bay & Merrimack Valley offers a comprehensive list of area organizations that need volunteers and donations throughout the year. For more information, call 2-1-1, United Way’s free referral hotline, or check the Web at www.uwmb.org or www.volunteersolutions.org.  

Welcome Baby, 200 Bowdoin St., Dorchester, fills 800 gift baskets a year for delivery to families with newborns in Dorchester, Roslindale and Allston-Brighton as a first step in connecting families to community resources. The following items are needed: baby shampoo and lotion, baby outfits (sizes 6-9 or 9-12 months), handmade blankets (size 40"x40"), infant toys and health/safety items. Welcome Baby seeks volunteers and individuals, organizations, or faith-based groups to make or gather gifts for newborns. For more information contact Valerie Bean at the Family Nurturing Center, 617-474-1143 ext. 224.
Wellspring Cape Ann Families, 28 Emerson Ave., Gloucester, provides education and support to area parents and children living in stressful situations and isolation. Volunteers are needed, particularly for childcare and teen and adult mentoring. The organization is also looking for people with special talents – such as guitar playing or leading parent workshops – to volunteer for one-time events. Monetary donations are also welcome. For more information about volunteering call 978-281-7856, ext. 1.