8gv - earlier this year I donated a car to Kingswood High School in Wolfeboro. Obviously they use cars to develop repair skills of all sorts, but when they get a car they can fix up to truly usable shape, they'll donate to a family in need.
Also here in Wolfeboro is a church, Calvary Wolfeboro on Mill Street, which has "Calvary Closet". People can donate wearable clothing, and the church will have regular days to give them away absolutely free (advertised at the local food pantry). Last Christmas, they also had toys available for kids, just like the USMC's Toys for Tots.
One thing I love about my neighborhood is that people haven't forgotten what "being neighborly" is all about. A couple of years ago I had shoulder surgery, and the guy next door mowed my lawn all summer. I have a snowblower, so I'll take care of a few folks who struggle. You get the picture.
As far as winning the lottery goes - I think we'd look for a way to aid people with cancer. My wife went through treatments for breast cancer much of last year, and there were a few organizations that helped us out a little. We ended up with a bunch of debt to cover the expense, and we'll eventually be fine, but we saw many people who were being totally wiped out. The thing that struck us was that many charities were cancer-specific: breast cancer being far and away #1. So the guy we saw for several weeks at the same clinic, but who had esophageal cancer, had very little help beyond what the clinic themselves could do.
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