Finding other ways to give is simple

It's that time of year again. The reminders are everywhere that it is time to buy gifts for loved ones in celebration of the holiday season, and there are many options, from the latest bold and beautiful socks to a gift card to a local restaurant or theater.

Still, there are other ways to give: People can give time or money or gently used items to help people they may not even know have a better life.

Here are just a few of the ways people can give locally this season:

Donate new or gently used items to give away

Bring new or gently used toys, movies, books and games to brighten the faces of children in our area to Common Ground Coffee Bar & Deli at 103 Avenue C in Cloquet. Toy drop-off days are Dec. 19-21 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Toy giveaway will be Saturday, Dec. 22. The toy giveaway starts at 9 a.m and lasts until everything is gone.

Donate to the Ms. Christmas nonprofit

Santa Claus may have been home for the holidays last weekend, but Ms. Christmas lives in Cloquet year-round. Paula Maki, aka Ms. Christmas, founded her own nonprofit to give gifts and a little Christmas caring to people in adult foster homes, nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Maki solicits donations of gift items from local and national companies. She also has "giving trees" - each one with tags for gift items to be returned unwrapped to a nearby dropbox - set up at the Shopko stores in Hermantown and Moose Lake, as well as one on the second floor of the Holiday Center in Duluth. To find out more, check out the website at mschristmascharity.wixsite.com/disabledadults or email Maki at [email protected].

Donate to Carlton toy drive

Residents are invited to donate an unwrapped toy or gift card for children ages 17 and younger between now and Wednesday, Dec. 12 as part of the ongoing 24th annual Toys for Carlton Area Kids drive. Monetary donations by check should be written to the Carlton VFW Auxiliary; otherwise, new unwrapped toys, gift cards and hats and mittens for kids ages 17 and younger can be dropped off at the following locations: Carlton VFW, Carlton High School library, South Terrace Elementary School office, Inter-Faith Care Center and Pine View, Carlton Volunteer Services, Carlton Wellness Center, Thrivent Financial, Carlton Meat and Grocery, and the Brickyard in Wrenshall. For more information, contact Leola Rodd at 218-310-6065 or [email protected].

Help a family have the "Best Christmas Ever"

Best Christmas Ever is a nonprofit organization started right here in Carlton County. Co-founder Don Liimatainen was a single dad battling ulcerative colitis in 2010. It was Christmas Eve and he had just finished wrapping the few gifts he picked up from the convenience store for his son. Just then, there was a knock at the door. He answered to see three of his relatives bearing huge bags of gifts. They knew it had been a tough year and just wanted his family to have the "best Christmas ever."

Fast forward. Now there are BCE teams across the country that fundraise and "giftraise" for nominated families who have fallen on hard times through no fault of their own, often because of illness or accidents.

Cloquet Ford Chrysler in Cloquet has adopted two families this year. Reneé and Al Birman held a fundraiser at Halloween to raise money for their BCE families, but community members are encouraged to be part of the effort to turn what could be a family's worst Christmas ever into one of their best.

"It's not about the presents, really, it's more about the fact that people love them and they have support from the community," explained Reneé Birman.

Want to help? People can stop by the dealership and take a tag off a tree. Unwrapped gifts need to be returned by Dec. 18; the wrapping party is that night, and the drops are made the next day.

Ring bells for the Salvation Army

The Carlton County Salvation Army kicked off its bell ringing campaign Nov. 17 but there are still plenty of open spots at various locations, including L&M, Super One, Walmart Grocery and Walmart Pharmacy in Cloquet as well as Market Place Foods in Moose Lake.

Volunteers are the difference between an empty kettle and one that raises about $30 an hour, which is enough to provide a family with two bags of groceries or shelter an individual for a night.

Families report that bell ringing is a great way to instill a sense of community spirit in young children. While anyone is invited to be a bell ringer, kids under 14 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, and teens younger than 16 must have permission from a parent or guardian to volunteer.

To sign up to volunteer locally, call 218-879-1693 or visit the Cloquet Salvation Army Facebook page and click on the link to "signupgenius."

People can also mail donations to Carlton County Salvation Army, 316 Carlton Ave., Cloquet MN 55720.

Christmas volunteers needed

Volunteers are needed to help with preparations and serving for the 25th annual Cloquet Area Community Christmas Day Dinner on Dec. 25. Volunteer to help deliver, prepare or serve the meals, which are free to all. Call Zion Lutheran Church at 218-879-4647 to volunteer, order a meal for delivery or arrange for transportation to dine at Zion at 2 p.m. Christmas Day.

Of course we've missed some wonderful local efforts. To share information about your Christmas or holiday season fundraiser in next week's Pine Knot News, email [email protected] by noon Monday, Dec. 10.