The holidays are here! While many kids are looking forward to feasting and opening gifts with their family, a lot of them also understand that others aren’t so fortunate and may need some help.

Here in Arizona, did you know that 1 in 5 kids faces FOOD INSECURITY? That term describes families or individuals who don’t have enough money to eat regularly and are sometimes forced to skip meals. According to the St. Mary’s Food Bank, food insecurity is a problem 2 million Arizonans face during the year!

And having regular, nutritious meals is important, especially for young people. Not only do regular, good meals help kids grow, but they help kids stay alert and focused in the classroom. Go to stmarysfoodbank.org or for the East Valley, the United Food Bank (unitedfoodbank.org).In the Southeastern US, many communities are still reeling from Hurricane Helene, that first hit Florida Sept. 26 before tearing through other Southern states like North Carolina. Just two weeks later, Hurricane Milton, an even stronger storm, cut across Florida. More than 300 people died in the hurricanes, each of which caused at least $50 billion in damages.

To help those trying to get back on their feet from the hurricanes, your family or class can raise funds for the American Red Cross (redcross.org), or just hand out cards with a list of trustworthy organizations and websites people can donate to on their own. There’s also the Salvation Army, Americares (my.americares.org), Rebuilding Together (rebuildingtogether.org), DirectRelief (directrelief.org) and All Faiths Food Bank (allfaithsfoodbank.org).

And if you’d rather help animals, either wildlife or adoptable furry-faced friends, there are different ways you can give.

Go online with a parent or your teacher and see what conservation organizations seem worth supporting. Phoenix has some wildlife rescue places like Liberty Wildlife. The Arizona Humane Society accepts both money and gently used items that it can sell at its thrift stores.