• Shine your light on someone's Christmas.christmas light on christmas ball image by Bart van der Putten from Fotolia.com
  
  Christmas is a time for giving. Some people don't have the simple pleasures of a warm home and hot meals. You can help by knowing what charities to donate to this Christmas. Once you have narrowed down your list of charities you can following through with giving donations. Helping those less fortunate is an opportunity to make a positive difference. You can choose among many different types of organizations to support.
  
  

Military

• Give back to those who are giving so much. Military families make many sacrifices so that we all can live a free and safe life. You can donate to military families by way of Operation Homefront. This organization provides food assistance, auto repair, furniture, disaster relief and many other services to military families. You can find Operation Homefront chapters throughout the United States.
  
  

Make a Wish

• Support sick children by helping their wishes to come true. The Make a Wish Foundation has been around since 1980 granting sick children wishes, such as going to amusement parks or meeting super stars. Putting a smile on a child's face is a mutually rewarding part of the holiday season.
  
  

Church

• Give to a local church. They frequently help those in need, and the holidays are no exceptions. Giving Christmas donations to churches and other religious organizations, such as the Salvation Army is simple. You can donate clothes, food, money or even your time. These types of organizations help out a wide range of people in need from the elderly to young children, and people who may have been affected by natural disasters. The Salvation Army also gives to people in hospitals and nursing homes. Finding a local church is easy as well as finding a Salvation Army volunteer. Many Salvation Army volunteers are outside grocery stores during the holiday season, asking for donations.
  
  

Homeless

• Contact a local homeless shelter. The homeless need special help during the holidays. As the weather gets colder, the homeless need coats, a warm place to stay and food. You can donate clothes, food and your time. Homeless people come in all forms. Children are among them. For your Christmas donation you can give them toys. St. Vincent De Paul is another organization that helps the homeless.