As far as your philanthropy day, may I recommend that you contact a local DV shelter and find out what they need. Then you can have the PNM's decorate bags that will be used to fill up with necessary items, like laundry detergent, toothpaste and toothbrushes, etc (cheap things that you can buy at 99 cent store!).
I'm an advisor from UCR and we decorate pots and fill them with AXO carnation seeds...it's cute but messy.
