For every family celebrating around a warm fireplace and a glittering pile of presents under the tree, there are people who are left out cold, with no gifts to open, and sadly, no family or home. You have often wanted to help the needy, you know the holidays are the season of giving, but you also have to spend a lot for the celebrations and gifts for friends and family and have limited budget. Yet there are many ways to give, as this article explains
Many also donate during this season to qualify for a tax deduction in the current financial year. This is the reason why most charitable giving in money occurs between #GivingTuesday, and the end of the year.
What can you do for charity this Holiday Season?
Donation Ideas for the Giving Season
For people who have money and are philanthropic, there are infinite opportunities to gift a needy person or child a Merry Christmas. Even if you are living on a shoestring budget, you will be surprised at how much you can do.
Clothes and Toys
When the winter comes calling, the need for warm clothing follows. Many poor and homeless people have to bear the brunt of winter without warm clothes. You can donate warm clothes, shoes and blankets to charitable organizations for the needy, but make sure to give away only those in good condition.
Actually, homeless children should be getting woolens better than yours. They will be wearing them for a much longer time than you do.
The holidays can be hard for homeless kids, or for families that don’t have the means or circumstances to provide children with toys. Families accumulate loads of toys as children grow up, and the holiday season is the best time to give them away to an orphanage.
Orphans often do not receive presents during the holidays. Many of these kids have been affected by abuse or trauma. SERUDS is a charity that allows you to connect with children in the orphanage and Daycare Centers and find out what gifts they are asking for. In this way you can be sure that you buy a gift the kids will love.
Donate Food
According to the United Nations, India has nearly 25% of the global hungry population, with nearly 195 million undernourished people. “Nearly 47 million or 4 out of 10 children in India are not meeting their full human potential because of chronic under-nutrition or stunting.”
You can sponsor monthly groceries for destitute women, or mid-day meals for elders or children at Seruds’ centers.
Visit Your Local Hospital’s Pediatric or Geriatric Wing
One of the things that make it easier for the sick or infirm is all the volunteers and the warmth that they bring. You can spend time with the inmates, tell stories, bring goodies or just be around and comfort them
Help Fulfill a Child’s Dream
The Make A Wish Foundation was created in 1980 with a simple mission : that children will have an opportunity to share the power of a wish. Today, after over 201,000 wishes being granted, that mission is still powering wishes.
Volunteers have made it possible. There are many ways you can help make a child’s dream come true:
- Donate money.
- You can donate one time gift or become a monthly donor.
- Volunteer your time or skills. Charities need event planners, translators, outreach help, fund raising, teachers, counselors and more
Donate gifts. These are the commonly needed precious things : toys, laptops, clothes, books, games
Visit an Old Age Home
All that the lonely elders in an Old Age Home want is someone to sit with them and spend quality time. They are eager to share their life stories, funny anecdotes. They want to feel the thrill of beating you at carrom. They want to know about you and your plans, and maybe gossip about their fellow inmates. You can imagine they have no one else to talk to and they feel neglected.
You are welcome to visit Seruds Happy Old Age Home and even bring your kids. Your children will find so many sweet grandparents that they are in danger of getting pampered. Your kids will learn so many lessons such as empathy and fortitude.
Donate Personal Hygiene Items
Keeping clean is not cheap, as personal hygiene products like toilet paper, shampoo, laundry soap, diapers, and toothpaste get used regularly and are expensive. Young girls in schools and women in poor families need sanitary pads / napkin. These are not regularly gifted or sponsored
How often we forget that even a small gesture can change someone’s life. You will discover this as you volunteer at our daycare centers, old age home or orphanage. Maybe you will motivate a child to join college and aspire to become a doctor. Or just make a granny laugh after what seems like ages.
