5 Long Valley Nonprofits To Support This Holiday Season

LONG VALLEY, NJ — If you’re like many of your Long Valley 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 Long Valley area.

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

1. The Seeing Eye: The Seeing Eye is a philanthropic organization dedicated to enhancing the independence, dignity, and self-confidence of blind individuals through the use of Seeing Eye dogs. To fulfill this mission, The Seeing Eye:
   • Breeds and raises puppies to become Seeing Eye dogs
   • Trains dogs to guide blind people
   • Instructs blind individuals on the proper use, handling, and care of their dogs
   • Conducts and supports research on canine health and development
2. Smiles For Margaret: Smiles for Margaret is dedicated to addressing the needs of chronically ill children and U.S. veterans of war by providing education, coordination, and aid to support their well-being and relief.
3. Long Valley Community Assistance Program: The Long Valley Community Assistance Program is run by a group of volunteers, including representatives from local churches and community members. The program serves as both a food pantry and an emergency fund to support residents in need.
4. Eleventh Hour Rescue: Eleventh Hour Rescue is a volunteer-based organization committed to saving the lives of dogs and cats on death row. Many of the animals are rescued at the "eleventh hour," just before they are scheduled to be euthanized by shelters that can no longer care for them.
5. Market Street Mission: Market Street Mission is a nonprofit organization that serves the hungry, homeless, and those struggling with addiction in northern New Jersey. Founded in 1889, the organization has decades of experience and a proven approach to addressing alcoholism, substance abuse, hunger, and homelessness in northern and central New Jersey.