Five Ways to Give Meaningful Gifts this Holiday Season, a Volunteer Opportunity for People who Love Taxes, Technology or Spanish, and a Follow Up with the Real Cost Measure.
Five Ways to Give Meaningful Gifts This Holiday Season

Instead of traditional presents, consider giving gifts that will last longer than a season. Here are some suggestions for gifts will make a lasting impact on San Luis Obispo County:

Shop for a Cause at the Youth Board Holiday Fundraiser on Friday, December 11, 2015 from 5:30 - 7:30 PM. Join us at Humankind Fair Trade, located at 982 Monterey Street, in Downtown SLO, for a great selection of gifts, plus treats and gift wrapping provided by Youth Board members. When you shop that evening, the Youth Board will earn 20% to support their philanthropic efforts.


Give the Gift of Literacy by sponsoring a child for the Imagination Library. More than 50 local children are on the waiting list to receive their own library of books. Children enrolled in the program receive a brand new, age-appropriate book mailed directly to their home each month. Your $250 sponsorship will build a library of 60 books for a child.


Share your Time and volunteer for one of the many worthy organizations serving SLO County. See a current list of holiday related needs at www.VolunteerSLO.org, such as playing Santa Claus or bell ringing, or make a New Year's Resolution to volunteer in 2016. Keep reading below for a new opportunity coming up in January. 


Coats for Christmas
Warm Up the Winter by making a donation to Coats for Christmas Day. Community members in San Luis Obispo will generously provide our County's homeless with a home cooked Christmas Day dinner, live entertainment and winter clothing care packages, including sleeping bags, sweatshirts, jackets, ponchos and umbrellas. Donate today to provide a winter clothing care packages for your neighbors in need. For additional information about the Coats for Christmas Day Drive or Christmas Dinner, please contact Sheri Eibschutz at (805) 594-1999. 


Get your philanthropic donation in before the end of the year. You can give online, make a donation over the phone by calling (805) 541-1234, or mail to PO Box 14309, San Luis Obispo, CA 93406. Thank you to our sponsors who supported us in 2015! 
MyFreeTaxes.org Volunteer Tax Preparers

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Are you a current or retired accountant? Do you like technology? Do you speak Spanish? If any of those describe you, consider signing up as a volunteer tax preparer! 

MyFreeTaxes.org is a tax preparation website which allows individuals and familiers earning $62,000 or less to prepare and file their state and federal taxes for free. Volunteer tax preparers assist users with this free H&R Block software to prepare basic tax returns. Volunteers sign up to help during 5 hour shifts on Saturdays from January 30 through April 2, 2016, in Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo or Arroyo Grande. Some training is required. Get additional details at VolunteerSLO.org. 
Struggling to Get By

United Ways of California recently introduced the Real Cost Measure, a basic needs budget approach to better understand the challenges facing California households. 

Miss any of our coverage about the Real Cost Measure for SLO County? Listen in on the SLO County Today podcast or watch the presentation to the Board of Supervisors.
 
www.unitedwayslo.org
United Way of San Luis Obispo County | (805) 541-1234 | info@unitedwayslo.org