The Alternative Christmas Fair is an annual event which gives local, national, and international charities the opportunity to raise funds in a group setting, and visitors to the Fair the chance to learn about those charities. Fair goers can then write one check to cover multiple donations and receive gift cards to notify honorees of the gifts made in their names. They can also enjoy a delicious meal and dessert in a festive atmosphere. All charitable donations go directly to the charities, and all profits from food sales go toward the cost of running for next year’s Fair.
The participating charities for 2018 are:
3rd Way Collective: http://www.3rdwaycollective.org/ 3rd Way Collective is a Penn State student organization creating a network around faith-based peace and social justice on campus and in our community. We offer community meals and events, and collaborate around activism and service. We were founded by the University Mennonite Church and are supported by individuals and peace church congregations in State College. |
 Center for Alternatives in Community Justice: www.cacj.us CACJ’s mission is to serve society by working with the community and justice system to promote, develop and implement effective alternatives that preserve human dignity, restore, heal and empower individuals. |
Centre County PAWS is committed to finding forever homes for cats and dogs, educating citizens on responsible pet ownership, providing spay/neuter assistance, and ending pet overpopulation. We are a non-euthanasia, member supported, volunteer enabled organization dedicated to the promotion of animal welfare and safety. |
 Centre Safe (Centre County Women’s Resource Center): www.ccwrc.orgOur mission is to eliminate domestic, relationship, and sexual violence for everyone – women, children, men, and people of all gender identities and diverse backgrounds. |
 Centre County Youth Service Bureau: www.ccysb.com/ The Youth Service Bureau exists to ensure that children, youth, and families will have opportunities to realize and fulfill their potential. |
 Centre Helps: https://www.centrehelps.org/ Centre Helps navigates the local safety net for our friends and neighbors in need, whether in crisis or struggling to make ends meet, through our 24/7 hotline, text, chat, and community collaboration. We all have friends that are suffering in silence. Our well-trained, compassionate team transitions those friends and neighbors from crisis to viability. |
 Centre LGBTQA Support Network: www.centrelgbtqa.org The mission of Centre LGBTQA Support Network is to bring the community together through LGBTQA education and activities in the Centre region. |
 CentrePeace, Inc: http://www.centrepeace.org/ CentrePeace was established in 1994 to provide a wholesome working environment for Centre County inmates. We operate the largest used furniture recycling project in the county, keeping tons of stuff out of the landfills. Inmates, repair and restore electronics and furniture, participate in classes to improve their life skills and learn to handle conflict. |
 Centre Volunteers in Medicine: www.cvim.net Centre Volunteers in Medicine is a free clinic providing medical and dental care, case management, and medication assistance to low income individuals living or working in Centre County. |
Centre Wildlife Care: www.centrewildlifecare.org
|
Church World Service: https://cwsglobal.org/ Church World Service has worked for seven decades with one goal: building a world where there is enough for all. We affirm the power of individuals and communities to take ownership of their future. We meet them right where they are, helping them create solutions they can maintain – and build on. |
 ClearWater Conservancy of Central PA, Inc: www.clearwaterconservancy.org Founded in 1980, ClearWater Conservancy is a nationally-accredited land trust dedicated to conserving and restoring this region’s local natural resources. Our vision is to work together for people and place to nurture a healthy environment and thriving communities in the heart of Pennsylvania. |
 Habitat for Humanity of Greater Centre County: www.habitatgcc.org Habitat for Humanity of Greater Centre County (HFHGCC) is one of 1,500 independent affiliates of Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI). Since launching in the greater Centre County region, HFHGCC has built, renovated, or repaired 60 homes in partnership with qualified families. |
Heifer International works to empower families by training people in sustainable farming, helping farmers get access to the market, and by helping women develop leadership skills. |
Hope International Services’ mission is to provide health care, education, environmental, and outreach services to the people of El Salvador and the USA. |
 House of Care: http://www.houseofcare.org/ The House of Care is a small non-profit personal care home in State College PA dedicated to serving those with extremely low income, little to no family support and requiring assistance with activities of daily living. Our maximum occupancy is 5 residents. |
 Housing Transitions, Inc: https://housingtransitions.org/Housing Transitions is an independent, nonprofit organization providing housing programs and supportive services to those in need throughout Centre County. |
Interfaith Human Services: www.ihs-centrecounty.org Interfaith Human Services helps Centre County neighbors in crisis move toward financial stability and self-reliance. |
Jana Marie Foundation harnesses the power of creative expression and dialogue to spark conversations, build connections, and promote mental wellness among young people and their communities. The Foundation works to open minds and save lives. |
State College Area Meals on Wheels prepares and delivers over 55,000 meals each year to homebound persons in the Centre Region. This service helps maintain good nutrition for our clients so that they can remain in their own homes for as long as possible. |
11% of Centre County adults read below a third grade level. Our programs equip people with the skills needed to connect and communicate with others. With the help of 200 trained volunteers, the Literacy Council provides essential instruction. Literacy is access to a life of safety, realized goals and community participation. |
Out of the Cold: Centre County is an emergency shelter open from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. every night from mid-October to early May. Staffed almost entirely by volunteers, the host site rotates every two weeks. Each evening our guests are welcomed warmly, served a hot meal, given a cot, warm blankets, a place to sleep, and breakfast the next morning. |
Park Forest Preschool is a non-profit, tuition free preschool that provides quality early education for qualifying families. We offer a unique program which meets the needs of our at-risk population with a low teacher–child ratio. |
Pennsylvania Interfaith Power & Light is a network of individuals and faith communities responding to climate change in a variety of ways, practical and prayerful. We work from a place of active hope, engaging our gifts as we seek to live as better citizens of our Common Home. Our work includes a Sustained Advocacy initiative which supports individuals engaging with their lawmakers and civic leaders in conversation about clean energy, just transition, and care for people and planet. |
Our Vision – One day, no one will go hungry in Centre County. Our Mission – To provide food security, directly or indirectly, to people in Centre County. |
At Tides we offer no cost support for families coping with the death of someone special to them. Children and teens from pre-school to age 18 and their adult family members come together to share their grief in a supportive setting. Our mission is to provide safe and nurturing peer support programming for children, teens and their families who have experienced the death of a loved one. |
Centre County PAWS
