Volunteers from Select Health sort donated food at the Utah Food Bank in June. Though help and donations are needed year-round, pressure on charities heats up during the holidays. (PAUL FRAUGHTON \Tribune file photo)

The following organizations are accepting charitable donations through the holidays. Information and referrals for these and other community support programs is available by calling 211.

 

Christmas Basket Giveaway » The program benefits low-income Utahns in need of food. To donate, contact the Crossroads Urban Center, 801-364-7765. To volunteer, contact Rowland Hall St. Mark's School, 801-924-5943.

 

Operation Cover-up » Donations to this coat and blanket donation drive can be dropped off at all Wasatch Front fire stations until Dec. 31. For more information, contact Tom Roberson, 801-799-4163 or Fitz Peterson at 801-550-7590.

 

Salvation Army Angel Program » Angel Tree collects gifts for children and families in need. Participate by selecting an angel from any Angel Tree at all Cyprus Credit Union locations or any Utah Macy's Department store. Information about your angel is listed on each ornament. Shop for your angel, then return your new, unwrapped gift to the same Angel Tree from which you took an ornament. Gifts must be returned no later than Dec. 14. For more information, call (801)988-4204 in the Salt Lake area; (801)621-3580 in the Ogden area; and (801)374-2588 in the Provo area.

Toys for Tots » To donate, place a new, unwrapped toy in a collection bin at participating businesses, of which there are more than 100 in the Salt Lake area. To find a

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nearby business where you can donate a toy, or to donate money toward the purchase of a toy, visit www.toysfortots.org.

Utah Association for People with Intellectual Disabilities Holiday Gift Box Program » The program serves primarily low-income adults with intellectual disabilities who don't qualify for other programs because of age limits, said Joyce Whalen, the association's board president. To donate, visit the association at 1326 S. 2100 East from 9 a.m. to about 5:30 p.m. weekdays to choose an ornament that provides information about an individual who will benefit from the program. Shop for new items and return them by Dec. 14. Donations of generic items, such as towels, socks and hygiene products are also accepted, as are monetary donations, through Dec. 23. For more information, call 801-440-1674.

 

Utah Food Bank » A holiday food drive will run through Dec. 31 and seeks to collect 1.6 million pounds of food and 28,000 turkeys to assist with emergency food requests through the winter months and beyond. Donations can be made in any bag, box or container at Smith's Food and Drug, Jiffy Lube, Riverton Motors and Regence. Donations can also be made at www.UtahFoodBank.org.

 

Utah Foster Care Foundation's Giving Tree Program » The program seeks new gifts and cash donations to fulfill the holiday wishes of more than 1,000 children in state-licensed foster homes. "Many of the children and teens in care have been removed from their biological homes because of neglect or abuse," said Nikki MacKay, the foundation's director. "Christmas can be a difficult time for them." To learn how to support the program, call 877.505.KIDS(5437), e-mail nikki.mackay@utahfostercare.org or visit www.utahfostercare.org.

 

Utah State Hospital Forgotten Patients Program » The program provides Christmas gifts for hundreds of patients with mental illness. In the history of the program -- which may go back as far as 60 years, organizer Shawna Peterson said -- "we've never had a forgotten patient." And she doesn't want this year to change that. To support the Forgotten Patient Christmas Project, contact Peterson at 801-344-4254 or e--mail epetersopn@utah.gov