It’s easy to get carried away with Christmas gift giving, I know I am the worlds worst when it comes to making sure I’ve spent the same amount on everyone so I don’t feel too guilty in among all the festive cheer. I’m so lucky to have a kind, generous and loving family that enjoys gift giving and the run up to Christmas as much as I do. Sadly, not every Christmas can be perfect for some. It’s actually a time to really reflect on what matters in life, I wanted to provide an alternative Christmas gift guide to those who may be looking to help someone or a cause less fortunate this year because whilst it’s nice to have prezzies under the tree, there are so many more rewarding gifts you can give this year to someone outside of your family.
DONATE WARM CLOTHES TO THE SALVATION ARMY
I’m forever going through my piles and piles and piles (and piles!) of clothes because I own far too many that it’s impossible to now get in to my second bedroom. I stack a load for the charity bags when I do and send them on their merry way. The Salvation Armynot only have charity shops around the country, the donations are also used to help in emergency situations, such as floods or if a homeless shelter needs clothing for people. I like that it’s split in such a way so that some of the UK’s most vulnerable receive warm clothing through the year. Not only that, it means that less and less waste is sent to landfill meaning we are looking after the environment too.
VOLUNTEER AT A LOCAL DOGS/CAT/ANIMAL HOME OVER CHRISTMAS WEEK
I’m sure a lot of people could and would get on board with this one. Spending time with animals is possibly one of life’s most precious gifts (or so I like to think anyway!) sadly, some pets don’t have homes to spend Christmas in and spend a lot of their lives in shelters. Places like the Dogs Trust accept people to come along on Christmas Day to volunteer. After all, their staff do deserve some time off as well. There can sometimes be waiting lists for the privilege but it is so worth it!
DONATE TO FOOD BANKS
It saddens me that in this day and age that nearly 1.2 million people have relied on food bank donations to feed their family. The statistics are shocking and can be found here. A fact I still cannot fathom. But the reality is that it is happening more and more.The Trussell Trust rely on around 90% of their food from donations from the public. It might just be a couple of tins you have in your cupboard, but know that someone out there might find it feeds them this Christmas day.
PAY FOR A BED FOR SOMEONE WHO MAY BE HOMELESS THIS CHRISTMAS
The sheer thought of people living on the streets is something that sends shivers up and down my spine. Especially through these cold, damp, dark winter days. A little bit of empathy goes a long way to those who live on the streets and one of the kindest things you can do this year is pay for a bed for someone who may be homeless this festive period. Local charities such as St George’s Crypt to national Chairities such as Shelter can help point you in the right direction to help with this.
TAKE PART IN THE SHOEBOX APPEAL
Remember back in school you would fill a shoebox before Christmas with pencils, paper, socks and more, well you can still do that. Charities like the Samaritans Purse are still going strong. You can find the types of things that they appreciate being donated here. There are children all over the world whose faces would light up at the thought of a gift being sent to them.
SEND A DONATION INSTEAD OF CARDS (OR BUY CHARITY CARDS!)
Over the years a lot of people I know have sent donations to charities rather than sending Christmas cards which I think is such a lovely idea. A quick note on Facebook to those you love to let them know that is what you have done will stop people wondering why they’ve been missed off the Christmas card list this year. Alternatively, if you still love the art of sending cards at this time of year, why not buy sets from a local charity to help fund them too. A great Charity that does this is Martin House Children’s Hospice for terminally ill children.
I do hope that this has inspired some of you (or even one of you!) to give an alternative Christmas gift this year. Christmas is not always a happy time for some and I feel it’s my duty to try bring some festive cheer to some people’s lives. At this time of year, it is all about reflection and how we can be better people in a very cold world.
Please do let me know if you choose to do any of the above things. I’d love to know.
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