The one item Oprah forgot to put on her list this year.
Every year just prior to the holidays, Oprah comes out with her list of favorite things. It’s a carefully curated list of Oprah-approved items that she is sure will please anyone on your gift list this season. The gifts range from a reasonable $11 to items over $1,000. While many ooh and ahh over items on the list, we felt one item was noticeably absent.
A donation has been made in your name…
Our charities are hurting. The very people we rely on in times of crisis and despair are currently feeling a pinch that they may have never felt before. Over half of non-profits are projecting decreases in fundraising totals this year. Charities across the world are crippled due to fewer resources, fewer volunteers and the inability to hold in-person fundraisers.
A gift from the heart, not a shopping cart.
As we all struggle to remain connected with our family and friends and keep the spirit of the holiday season alive, a gift with a ripple effect is one that will be remembered.
At Fully Loaded Electronics, we empower hospitals to connect their patients with the entertainment and social connection that gaming consoles provide. The connection and entertainment provided by a gaming console can lift the spirits of a sick child and their family, a veteran, or an active service member when they need it most.
If you have ever hopped online to join a group of gaming friends or made a new friend through gaming, a donation to the charities below might be what gives you all the feels this holiday season. These charities generously give video game systems to children and adults facing powerful challenges. We’ve been proud to work with charities for over 10 years and are happy to present Fully Loaded’s Favorite Charities of 2020:
Child’s Play Charity – Play Games, Feel Better.
Child’s Play improves the lives of children through the power of play. Since 2003, Child’s Play has been dedicated to improving the lives of children with toys and games in their network of over 185 hospitals worldwide. When gaming systems are donated to Child’s Play, Fully Loaded loads them with games and then provides tech support to the video game systems deployed by Child’s Play.
Donations can be made online at: http://childsplaycharity.org/donate
Gamers Outreach – Helping Others Level Up.
The endlessly enthusiastic staff at Gamers Outreach are firm believers that the world is a better place when kids can play. And we agree. Their Project GO Kart provides hospitals easy bedside recreation for children who are unable to leave their hospital rooms. Our partnership with Gamers Outreach has helped increase the availability of GO Karts to hospitals, and we help source some hardware and software for their work.
Donations can be made online at: https://gamersoutreach.org/donate/
Make-A-Wish – Bring joy back into a child’s life.
Make-A-Wish creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Wishes vary but their impact is always immense. Fully Loaded Electronics has assisted in making video gaming wishes come true for many years. When a kiddo requests a gaming system, Wish Coordinators from across the country call Fully Loaded Electronics to find and deliver preloaded gaming systems (even retro devices), tablets, gaming pc’s and virtual reality experiences. Since the pandemic started, many medically fragile kiddos who are unable to go outside have changed their wishes from trips to things they can do from home, including video games. In a couple of special occasions, Wish Kids have also paid their wish forward and used it to outfit entire floors of a hospital with video games. We love and appreciate the Make-A-Wish mission, and it is an honor to be a part of their great work.
Donations can be made online at: wish.org/donate
StackUp – Combating Veteran Suicide Through Gaming.
Veterans are their mission; gaming is their passion. StackUp is a military charity supporting active and veteran service members from the US and allied nations by promoting positive mental health and combating veteran suicide through gaming and geek culture. Fully Loaded Electronics is proud to have assisted in sourcing variety of video game systems and accessories for their Hundred Heroes program and monthly supply crates.
Donations can be made online at: www.stackup.org/donate
GetUsPPE.org – Get donated PPE to those who need it most.
GetUsPPE.org has been addressing the PPE shortage with a sense of urgency and equity and using innovative data technology to distribute PPE for those most in danger of contracting and dying from COVID 19. When the PPE shortage began, Fully Loaded heard from our friends in hospitals that they were unable to source the masks, gowns, shields and more that they needed to stay safe and help patients heal. We partnered with Washington state PPE suppliers to ensure our friends in hospitals, schools and more had the PPE they needed to keep staff, patients and students safe. There are still shortages of PPE in many places, and GetUsPPE.org is raising funds and collecting donated PPE to serve the hospitals and clinics that are still in need. While this need is critical, Fully Loaded will continue to support GetUsPPE.org.
Donate funds or PPE at: https://getusppe.org/donate/
We know there is no shortage of charities to support this year. But if you’re a gamer like us and want to make sure that gaming is available when kids of all ages need it most, consider donating to these great organizations.
Learn more about Fully Loaded Electronics at www.FullyLoadedElectronics.com