As the holiday season is in full swing and more people are in the mood for giving, there are several nonprofit organizations in Perry County that operate partly on donations.

These nonprofits cover a wide range of needs and receive the majority of their donations during the holidays. According to the Network for Good, an online fundraising and donor website, 10 percent of all nonprofit donations in 2011 came in the last three days of the year, and habitual donors gave 80 percent more in December than any other month.

Several of the charitable organizations working in Perry County rely on this time of year for the bulk of their donations, which can decide how much they are able to do the rest of the year. One of the most visible and annual forms of holiday fundraising is the Salvation Army bell ringers.

The Salvation Army donates to other organizations as well as their own programs like the Salvation Army World Service Office. The causes that they support include housing and homeless services, music, youth camps, missing persons, disaster relief, anti-pornography, community care ministries, rehabilitation, elderly services, and human trafficking.

The Salvation Army accepts far more than money dropped in a red kettle. They also collect toys for children, donations of cars, airline miles, stocks and bonds, and clothing and furniture. They are currently accepting toy donations at Walmart stores.

To find out more about the Salvation Army go to www.SalvationArmyUSA.org.

Another organization that works with many different causes is United Way. The United Way of Southeastern Kentucky works with organizations across Eastern Kentucky, giving them money and helping with fundraising efforts. Their main focuses are on education, income, and health. Through these interests they aim to help the common good of a community or region.

United Way is partnered with many corporate sponsors that let people donate a portion of their paychecks to the group throughout the year, though they also accept donations in many different ways including on their website, www.UnitedWay.org.

Another organization that donates to local charities is the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky, located in Chavies. Through their fundraising efforts and their annual 5k and charity challenge, Run for the Hills, the Foundation has been able to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to help support organizations. Donations for the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky can be made through Network for Good. The link can be found at www.AppalachianKY.org.

Local organizations like the Housing Development Alliance work to build and repair homes for low-income families, and work to find affordable financing options for them to own their own homes. They put out an annual catalog of donation options.

Donations can be made at www.HousingDevelopmentAlliance.org

Another Organization working in Perry County to make homes warmer, safer, and drier is the Appalachia Service Project. ASP repairs homes at no cost to the owners or residents by using volunteer labor. Perry County is one of only three year-round centers that ASP runs in their over 30-county area in four states.

You can make a donation to ASP on their website, www.ASPHome.org.

A Perry County group looking to give people that have no home into a safe place is Community Ministries. Community Ministries runs Corner Haven Homeless Shelter, which works to help the homeless in the area get out of the cold and into a warm, helpful environment. They then work with residents on finding housing, employment, and resources.

Community Ministries also works with children and families through New Beginnings Learning Center. They also run Starland Academy, which is an after school and summer program for children. To donate to the Hazard-Perry County Community Ministries go to www.hpccm.org.

Another organization serving many purposes in the region is LKLP, which stands for Letcher, Knott, Leslie, Perry. LKLP helps people in these counties with a number of different programs ranging from energy assistance to get through the colder months, to domestic violence support, to transportation, and unemployment.

LKLP works extensively with children and families through many of their programs including parenting classes and Head Start. One of their programs helps children and families that have been the victims of a crime and even temporary housing and counseling for abuse victims.

Other resources such as in-home nursing care as an alternative to a nursing home and an in home nutrition program can help provide care for disabled and elderly individuals.

Each of LKLP’s many different programs can be donated to individually. The contact information on how to donate to these programs can be found at www.LKLP.org.