Every year on Christmas eve, the American President turns on the lights of the huge Christmas tree situated near the White house. Around the Christmas season churches, various organisations, and newspapers ask for donations of money and food for the needy, and volunteers from the "Salvation Army" dress up like Santa Claus and stand in the street ringing a bell to collect money for the poor. Some welfare groups prepare hot meals and serve them to the homeless. In order to help to parents, a couple of weeks before Christmas you can find "Santa halpers" strategically placed all around shopping malls and stores. They sit in a chair, take kids on their laps and kids tell Santa what they want for Christmas. In the USA Christmas are not a family holiday, families invite friends to join them at dinner and often have give parties at Christmas-time.