5 Brookfield Nonprofits To Support This Holiday Season

BROOKFIELD, CT — If you’re like many of your Brookfield neighbors, you may spend a good part of the holiday season with your credit card in hand buying gifts for family and friends. Coming up soon is a chance to give back to the local community.

Giving Tuesday, which in 2024 falls on Dec. 3, is a day dedicated to supporting nonprofit and community groups. Since 2012, nonprofits worldwide have used the Tuesday after Thanksgiving to galvanize fundraising, rally volunteers and add momentum to their causes.

Maintaining funding is a constant challenge for many nonprofits that fill gaps and meet other needs in the Brookfield area.

Here are five local nonprofits to consider getting behind on Giving Tuesday:

• Animal Rescue & K9 Charities, Inc. (ARK Charities) — ARK Charities in Brookfield’s mission is to rescue, rehabilitate and find loving forever homes for animals in need, particularly dogs. The nonprofit emphasizes the value of animals as life-changing additions to families and individuals, both physically and therapeutically. In addition to animal rescue, ARK Charities is committed to educating adopters and future animal advocates in their communities to make a positive impact on animal welfare.
• REACH Western CT — REACH Western CT aims to connect with children and foster transformative relationships by offering programs that provide a consistent, safe and predictable environment. Some of the center’s engaging programs include After School Connections, Summer Camp and Weekend Expeditions.
• Brookfield Craft Center — The Brookfield Craft Center is a nonprofit that teaches and preserves craftsmanship skills while fostering creativity and personal growth through craft education. Its campus has seven studios, a gallery for exhibitions, a retail craft gallery/gift shop and housing for any visiting faculty. Available classes include basketry, blacksmithing, ceramics, jewelry making and woodworking.
• Brookfield Food Pantry — The Brookfield Food Pantry provides food for those in need, operating based on eligibility determined through Social Services. This essential service relies on community donations, including both nonperishable food items and financial support, to fulfill its mission.
• Brookfield Lions Club — The Brookfield Lions Club is a local branch of the global Lions Club nonprofit organization, which empowers volunteers to serve their local and broader communities. Lions Club members engage in a wide range of activities, including vision care and blindness prevention programs, disaster relief efforts, environmental initiatives and various community service projects to make a positive impact on the lives of others.