Surprising ways you can help others at Christmas
CHRISTMAS doesn’t have to be just a frenzy of shopping, eating and drinking. For many it sparks the desire to give back — and it doesn’t have to cost you anything.
IT’S hard to talk about the “true meaning of Christmas” without feeling like a cliche but taking the time to reflect on your good fortune and give back to others can make the holiday season more meaningful.
While many get caught up with shopping, parties and merrymaking, Christmas can be a bleak time for others.
New research from Roy Morgan, commissioned by the Salvos, found 1.6 million Australians with children under the age of 10 will not be providing a Christmas present to their kids this year. This is an increase of more than 1 million compared to last year’s figures.
But giving back doesn’t necessarily have to mean donating money.
Here are some surprising ways you can help others this Christmas.
IF YOU WANT TO HELP AT A SOUP KITCHEN, YOU’RE TOO LATE
This is one of the most popular activities to do on Christmas Day and generally positions are filled early.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t transfer your good intentions into the new year. Charities are always looking for volunteers. Check out the list at the end of this story.
VISIT SOMEONE IN HOSPITAL
Spending Christmas Day in a hospital can be a pretty grim prospect but you can help make the day a little more comfortable for a patient.
If you’re interested in visiting a hospital to cheer up a sick patient, NSW Health says you should contact your local institution and speak to the community liaison person.
“NSW Hospitals welcome charity and kindness from people in our community who wish to share their time or give to those in hospital over the holiday period,” a spokesman said.
It may help if you bring food too.
RECYCLE AN OLD PHONE SO SOMEONE ELSE CAN EAT
If you have an old mobile lying around, you can do something positive with it.
The not-for-profit MobileMuster is partnering with OzHarvest to deliver a meal to someone in need for every mobile recycled.
All you have to do is drop off your old mobile at a collection point, or download a reply-paid label and post it back for free.
You have until the end of February to get your donation in, so you’ve got plenty of time to get rid of your old phone if Santa happens to give you the latest iPhone for Christmas.
The Mobile for a Meal campaign is hoping to encourage 70,000 Aussies to recycle their old mobile phones, which in turn will help deliver 70,000 meals to those in need.
It’s also a great way of doing your bit for food and e-waste.
PUT SOMETHING UNDER THE TREE
It’s an oldie but still a goodie. You can drop off a present for someone in need (of any age or gender) at your local Kmart store. The present doesn’t need to be bought at Kmart and it doesn’t need to be wrapped. But you can’t give something that’s used or second-hand.
Get the kids involved by printing out a gift tag that they can decorate and colour in.
You’ve got until Christmas Eve to drop off your pressie.
RETURN OVERDUE LIBRARY BOOKS
Brisbane libraries have an amnesty on returning overdue library books in December. Outstanding fees will be waived in exchange for a donation of canned food for Foodbank Queensland. Last year’s effort saw 38,946 cans collected and $167,789 worth of fines waived.
RECYCLE CANS AND BOTTLES FOR CASH
NSW has introduced a Return and Earn container deposit scheme that gives people 10c for every glass, plastic and aluminium drinking container returned.
Only some containers can be returned for money and they can’t be crushed or broken. More information on what’s eligible here.
You could just take the money if you wanted but why not donate it to charity instead?
There are some selected charities you can chose to give to, but you can also take the money and donate to your favourite charity instead. If you have kids you can select an organisation together.
Surfer and Take 3 co-founder Tim Silverwood said the scheme was a great way to encourage kids to recycle, as well as helping charities like Take 3, a not-for-profit organisation urging people to pick up three pieces of rubbish whenever they leave the beach or other public space.
Plus with all the Christmas and New Year parties happening, it’s the easiest money you’ll make.
HOST A FOOD OR TOY DRIVE
The Salvos is encouraging people to host a food or toy drive this weekend. Donate items by Monday, December 18 so they can be distributed to people in time for Christmas.
If you’re collecting cans of food, keep in mind that not all items are considered equal.
One charity revealed tinned tomatoes or chickpeas are useless for those they help because families don’t have other ingredients to make a meal out of them.
Tinned fish, stews and fruit are top of the list.
WRAP GIFTS AT LOCAL SHOPPING CENTRES
The Salvos is still looking for volunteers to wrap presents at local shopping centres. Click here for more details.
HOST A DINNER FOR REFUGEES
The Welcome Dinner Project connects Australians with newly arrived refugees over dinner and they are currently running a fundraising campaign to help them keep the successful project going.
You can help out by hosting a fundraising event. It can be as simple asking your friends and family over for dinner and collecting donations for the Welcome Dinner Project.
Find out more information here.
You can also sign up to host a dinner with refugees next year.
LOOK CLOSER TO HOME
It’s easy to overlook what’s right under our noses but many of those who could use our help may be neighbours, family or friends. Perhaps there’s an elderly neighbour who could use some help with his garden, a busy mum who would appreciate a home-cooked meal for the kids or a community garden that needs volunteers.
SIGN UP TO DO SOMETHING NEXT YEAR
There are so many ways you can help with volunteer opportunities as diverse as caring for the pets of homeless people, providing legal advice and teaching people how to sing.
You can tutor disadvantaged students with The Smith Family, play with sick children with the Starlight Children’s Foundation, help deliver meals to the elderly with Meals on Wheels or host a refugee in your home for up to three months through the Refugees Welcome program.
Sydney Council has a volunteering directory and more information on opportunities available around Australia are on the websites for Volunteering Queensland, Volunteering NSW, Volunteering Victoria, Volunteering SA & NT, Volunteering WA, Volunteering Tasmania and Volunteering ACT.
Job search site Seek also has a volunteering section.
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