Mount Prospect church continues its 'Charity Begins at Home' campaign

You may see an uptick in donations to local charities in the Mount Prospect area for the next few weeks, including Salvation Army bell ringing buckets and local nonprofits.

Why? There is a new, December tradition at the South Church of Mount Prospect.

The holiday season is the kickoff for the congregation's second annual "Charity Begins At Home" campaign. Each member of South Church is given a $100 bill from the charity arm of the church, "South Church Cares."

Directions are clear: Give the $100 to someone you know who needs it - it could be a struggling aunt, a friend, a neighbor, a stranger, maybe even your own family who may need it. Members give to the charity of their choice. This way, South Church can spread its giving even further than they have over the past few years.

Some of the local charities that have benefited from South Church Cares include: food pantries, Avenues to Independence, Safe Families; Journeys | The Road Home, and the South Church Garden.

National and international charities have also received support from South Church Cares and include Trees That Feed, the ACLU and Working Bikes, in addition to the Red Cross, Feeding America and Water.org, whose co-founder is actor Matt Damon.