Bouie: Support efforts of those helping meet needs in your area

By Jamelle Bouie / The New York Times
A few years ago, I wrote that “some of the most important and impactful work we can do as citizens takes place in our own communities.”
I still think that is true.
It is incredibly easy, in our modern political environment, to get caught up in the spectacle of national politics, to obsess over the twists and turns of events in Washington, D.C., and to treat the consumption of political media as a kind of civic engagement. But watching politics transpire on our screens isn’t political participation any more than watching an NFL game is playing football. We’re just spectators. To be involved in a real way, we have to take it to the streets, as it were. We have to join our neighbors in a common endeavor. We have to step away, go outside and make ourselves active members of our communities.
As you think about your holiday giving, I want you to consider local organizations; the people and institutions that are doing work in your area, for the people around you. For my part, I am sharing three organizations near me in Charlottesville, Va., that are doing work to try to mitigate some of the worst harms perpetrated by the administration in Washington.
The Legal Aid Justice Center works to assist and protect immigrant communities in central Virginia. It helps families navigate our convoluted immigration system, fights the separation of families by federal authorities and opposes the abuse of immigrants by Immigration and Customs Enforcement as well as Customs and Border Protection. It also works to assist people in the area with housing and tenant rights, and helps individuals and families secure benefits from public assistance programs.
The government shutdown and reduction in SNAP benefits in particular put a spotlight on the importance of local food banks. Here in Charlottesville we have the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, which served an average of 171,200 people each month, including 54,380 children and 29,550 seniors from July 2024 to June 2025, distributing 32 million pounds of food and 27 million meals. Food insecurity is far more common than you might think, and organizations like the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank are a vital supplement for our increasingly threadbare social safety net.
On any given night, more than 200 people in Charlottesville will find themselves with nowhere to sleep. Thanks to rising rents and a dearth of low-cost and affordable housing, the number of people who find themselves without a place to live and sleep is expected to rise. We have several organizations dedicated to helping the homeless in the area, but one of my favorites is The Haven, which provides many vital services to anyone who needs help, such as meals, showers, storage, laundry service and computer access. The Haven also offers housing assistance programs, referrals for jobs, medical clinics, mental health services and a place to rest.
Organizations like these exist in every community. Look for some near you and offer your support. I have no doubt that they could use it.
This article is part of New York Times Opinion’s 2025 Giving Guide. The author has no direct connection to the organizations mentioned. If you are interested in any organization mentioned in the guide, please go directly to its website. Neither the authors nor the Times will be able to address queries about the groups or facilitate donations.