With Christmas being less than two weeks away, I thought I’d share with you a few organizations that could benefit from your holiday cheer. These organizations are non-profits and rely on the generosity of all of us to continue their important work.
First, the organization that is the most near and dear to my heart is the Animal Care Center (ACC). Shelter Manager Ryan Moore works tirelessly alongside a group of volunteers who generously donate their time and energy to find homes for a variety of cats and dogs while also ensuring that they have a good quality of life during their time at the shelter.
For those of you unfamiliar with the ACC, it is located in Cruz Bay right near the library. If you haven’t had the opportunity to visit, you should do your best to get over there. Take a few minutes and play with the animals. This place will touch your heart. I promise.
Ways you can help the ACC:
- You can send a monetary gift. This will allow the ACC to use the money as they see fit.
- You can send items. Currently the ACC would really appreciate large dog bones and rawhides. (Please do not send small dog bones.) This gives the dogs something to do while they are in their kennels.
- You can volunteer. This can be as easy as signing up to take a dog for a walk. They go out twice a day – once at 8:30 a.m. and again at 3 p.m. They also do a Sunday hike on the Lindt Point Trail. You can also spend some time with the cats and kittens.
- You can adopt an animal. They have big dogs, small dogs, cats and kittens. You can see a list of adoptable pets here.
You can donate online by clicking here. If you plan to send a check or items, you can mail them to:
Animal Care Center
PMB 571
5000 Estate Enighed
St. John, VI 00830
(340) 774-1625
The ACC is a 501c(3) organization so all gifts are tax-deductible. To learn more about the ACC, visit its website at www.StJohnAnimalCareCenter.com
My second favorite island organization is Friends of Virgin Islands National Park (Friends). This organization is dedicated to protecting and preserving the National Park, which is the island’s biggest treasure. There’s something wonderful going on with this organization right now and I hope many of you take advantage of it.
A generous donor has pledged to match all donations made by the end of the year, up to $40,000. This means that a gift of $25 would automatically double to $50; a $50 donation would become $100 and so on. Please, you are able to, take advantage of this great opportunity even if you can only donate $5. Every little bit counts.
Donations can be made online by clicking here. You can also send them to:
Friends of Virgin Island National Park
PO Box 811
St. John, VI 00831
Friends is a 501c(3) organization so all gifts are tax-deductible. To learn more, visit their website at www.friendsvinp.org
I’m sure this will be an unpopular response, but this issue always has kind of irked me. I live in my home town, I visit STJ. Shouldn’t I be using my money to support my local Human Society instead of the one on STJ?
Yes Pete, it is up to you whether you donate and to whom you donate. My take is that we all cherish this wonderful island, so why not support some of its organizations. That being said, I think everyone should support their local organizations as well. And it does not have to be monetarily. Simply taking a dog for a walk is a way of giving back to St. John.
Is there a food pantry on island? I know I have left food behind in the place I was staying, but would gladly drop off anything unopened at a food pantry.
Our family created a nonprofit that works with children with disabilities on St John. My son has medical challenges but on Wednesdays he takes sandwiches, juice, water and snacks to the homeless guys in the park. The Lutheran and Catholic Churches, St Ursula Episcopal and others also feed folks. There are more hungry people on St John than you would think. If you have leftover food you just have to go to the ferry dock and you’ll see someone who would appreciate a sandwich. PS no leftover booze!
PS Some readers of this great news site are already giving by ordering holiday things from Christmas Tree Martha!
In Telluride & many other communitites they have a “free box”.
It is simply a wooden crate & shelves put on a sidewalk somewhere….
It says Free Box… anyone who has household/beach items they no longer want can put them on the shelf. Clothes go into the crate/box.
Any & all are welcomed to take what they need.
I realize that “space” is precious on St. John… but maybe someone could allow this on their property on a side street ? Especially for the Month of December?