In today’s trying economic conditions, it may be difficult to come up with a large contribution. So, we’ve compiled the Top 10 (11, because we’re so generous) ways to give back to the community and help others in need during the holiday season, without breaking the bank.

1. Holiday Mail for Heroes

For the price of a card and a stamp, you can brighten the holidays for a U.S. soldier at home or overseas with Holiday Mail for Heroes, a partnership between the American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes Inc.

Through Wednesday, Dec. 10, everyone is invited to send holiday cards with a message of thanks and cheer to a special post office box.

Holiday cards should be addressed and sent to: Holiday Mail for Heroes
P.O. Box 5456
Capitol Heights, Md. 20791-5456.

Please be sure to affix adequate postage. Cards must be received no later than Dec. 10. 

To help speed the sorting process and delivery of cards and notes before the holidays, mailers are encouraged to refrain from sending “care packages,” monetary gifts, using glitter or including any other inserts. 

For more information, visit Redcross.org/holidaymail.

2. Adopt a U.S. Soldier

But if you really want to send that care package, try AdoptaUSsoldier.org, where anyone can sign up to adopt a soldier stationed overseas during the holiday season.

Simply visit the Web site and fill out a form. Within three to five days, a soldier will be assigned and you can begin communicating.

Most soldiers request simple items that can be picked up at a low cost.

Another organization, Any Soldier, also connects military personnel stationed overseas with the American public. For more information, visit anysoldier.com.

3.  Give to a local Food Bank

Food banks have been hit hard by the economic crisis.

First a large increase in the number of people served has depleted resources and people just aren’t giving as much as in the past, just when the community needs them the most.

The cost of a canned good or two is relatively low and could make a person’s day brighter.

So, contact the Rutherford County Food Bank on Bridge Avenue, which always needs perishable and nonperishable foods and volunteers for the Christmas season.

The Smyrna and La Vergne Food Bank also needs help in the form of food or monetary donations.

Greenhouse Ministries, Oakland Park Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Salvation Army, Smyrna Church of Christ, St Luke’s Food Pantry and the Lascassas United Methodist Church all operate food pantries associated with Second Harvest Food Bank.

4. E-pledge the United Way

United Way of Rutherford and Cannon counties also has an easy way to donate and help 48 local charities, which means your dollar goes farther in the community.

Just visit the United Way’s website at www.uwrutherford.org and click on the “Give” link to send an E-pledge.

5. Buy a Band of Brothers Christmas tree

If you’re going to buy a Christmas tree, make it a Band of Brothers Fraser fir.

Annual Christmas tree sales help the Band of Brothers, North Boulevard Church of Christ Men’s Ministry, take needy children from local schools on a Christmas shopping spree and pizza party.

The Band of Brothers will have trees starting Friday, Nov. 28 in the Kmart parking lot on Broad Street.

Trees will range in size from 6- to 12-feet-tall and will be priced between $45 and $125. The Band also offers delivery for the larger trees.

The lot will be open Monday through Friday from 5-9 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sunday from 1-6 p.m.

6. Volunteer for the Salvation Army

The Salvation Army always needs volunteers, be it for the Red Kettle campaign, the annual Thanksgiving Feast, in the homeless shelter or to sort toys and check them against the recall list for the Angel Tree Program.           

Captain Joe Anderson said interested volunteers should first call the local office at 615-895-7071, and indicate when and how they can help.

7. Adopt an Angel

The Salvation Army also accepts gifts of clothing and toys for needy children, who are registered for the Angel Tree Program, and then distributes the gifts to families.

If you can’t adopt an entire Angel, the Forgotten Angels program gives to Angels who didn’t get adopted or to equalize presents for Angels from the same family.

For more information about the Angel Tree Program, contact the local Salvation Army.

The Salvation Army also accepts toiletry items for Senior Stockings that are given to needy senior citizens.

8. Give to a needy child or family

Several local organizations have programs similar to the Angel Tree, which give a needy child or family a Christmas to remember, like with the Cornelius Christmas program, which gives Christmases to families who receive services from Special Kids, Inc.

Families can register and provide a list of Christmas needs that sponsors fill anonymously.

For more information about the program or to adopt a family, call Stephanie Folkmann at 893-4565.

9. Cup of Kindness Tree

CASA and the Clay Cup have joined forces again with the Cup of Kindness Tree at the Clay Cup, which collects gifts for Rutherford County children who have been victims of child abuse and neglect.

These children have the same wishes, hopes and dreams that are shared by every other child during the holiday season, but they need help in making these wishes come true.

Enjoy a cup of coffee or hot cider and pick a child’s wish list off the Cup of Kindness Tree and bring the gifts back to the Clay Cup, 113 N. Maple St., by Wednesday, Dec. 10.

For more information, contact Susan Maguigan at 615-904-6996 or casarco@aol.com or call Chris or Karen Gerbman at the Clay Cup at 615-896-9494.

10. Toys for Tots

The Rutherford County Homebuilders’ Association and Murfreesboro Fire Department joined forces for this year’s Toys for Tots drive.

Last year, more than 2,300 Rutherford County children were served by almost 100 volunteers, who distributed more than $70,000 worth of brand new toys across the county.

New toys and other donations can be mailed to the RCHBA, P.O. Box 331479, Murfreesboro, TN 37133-1479. Checks should be made payable to the charitable foundation of the RCHBA, Home Builders Care.

For further information about this year’s “Toys for Tots” drive, go to www.rchba.com or call Karyn Beaty at  890-8224.

11. Help families stay warm on cold nights

Community Helpers offers the Murfreesboro Electric Department Magic Dollar program, which helps needy families with their electric bill.

MED will add one dollar a month to any electric bill and redistribute the funds to help the less fortunate and stop an electric cut off.

Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Cooperative offers Project Help, to which members donate $1 a month that is set aside to help the needy pay for electric service.

The utility also offers Operation Round Up, where electric bills are rounded up to the next dollar amount. The funds are used to assist community organizations and families who are affected by extreme situations like natural disasters.