What charitable things do you do at Christmas?

[Pearls18]

Just looking for ideas, activities, donations etc x

 

[george83]

I always buy charity Christmas cards and put a basket of things in our local food bank collection. I try to get at least one toy in the national toy donation thingy that happens but am usually so disorganised that I miss it. When I'm working we usually have a couple of charity collections at various points during December so always give to those too. Shamefully that doesn't sound like much, I must try harder next year

 

[staralfur]

As a kid I always did the one where you put some toys or toiletries in a shoebox for either a boy or a girl and then send it off to a child in need.

This year I symbolically adopted an animal for my LO from WWF. I think I'll probably do it every year from now on.

I was also thinking of buying a goat for a family in Africa, I saw it in a flyer but now can't remember what organization it was! But I thought that was a cool idea.

 

[Eleanor ace]

We do the Shoebox appeal and my LO's choose toys to donate for a local charity; I set aside however much I spend on my LO's presents for this. When we go shopping we always choose items for the food bank but in the run up to Christmas we add a few things which are Christmassy like selection boxes and tinned puddings. The Salvation Army have a "buy a place at Christmas dinner" drive, I've donated for 5 places, since there are 5 of us in my little family. I hadn't heard of this before but I thought it was a really nice idea. Then we've been thinking of extra little things we can do like donating dog food and old blankets to a local homeless charity (DS's suggestion).

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

Shoe boxes and local charity help, as in helping out x

 

[Tasha]

We send a shoe box to a child, one to a soldier and I donate to a food bank. I also put together a hamper and take it to one of my elderly neighbours as they don't have the money for luxuries but more importantly we spend time with them too.

 

[wtbmummy]

I'm currently cleaning out our wardrobes of the clothes we no longer wear.
I was going to take it to a charity shop but find they can sometimes put a big price tag on their clothes.

So this year I am trying to find some local homeless shelters and give all the old clothes, shoes etc.. to one of them in hopes it will go to someone who desperatly needs it at this time of the year.

 

[loeylo]

I'm currently cleaning out our wardrobes of the clothes we no longer wear.
I was going to take it to a charity shop but find they can sometimes put a big price tag on their clothes.

So this year I am trying to find some local homeless shelters and give all the old clothes, shoes etc.. to one of them in hopes it will go to someone who desperatly needs it at this time of the year.

I thought the bog price tag was sort of the point? As far as I'm aware the point of charity shops is to raise as much money for the charity as possible rather than to allow people to purchase cheap clothes (although that obviously also helps those on a low budget) imo a high price tag is actually better than them selling decent clothes for the likes of 20p.

I feel dreadful reading this, we used to do loads as kids - I was in the girls brigade and we had sponsored a girl in Malawi who we sent money to, we did the shoebox appeal, stamp collecting, Christmas fayres which sent money to charities.

Nowadays I'm lucky if I buy a packet of charity Christmas cards! I do donate through the year though.

 

[lau86]

I do donations to crisis the homeless charity, toy appeal, food bank donations. I'm really behind this year so fingers crossed I'll get it done

 

[kwood]

We do Christmas gifts for disadvantaged children at our work the bonus is for each toy donated our my work buys one of similar value to match.

I give to GOSH all year but buy their gift cards as an extra at Christmas.

Would like to get lo involved so may take some of the ideas listed here.

 

[AngelofTroy]

I like the idea of the shoebox appeal but who organises it?

 

[Amarna]

We go through toys and clothes and donate to the Salvation Army, adopt-a-family tree at church where we buy toys and clothes (I usually give extra cash to the church too to help cover the gift cards they give to the families as well), donate to the food bank weekly (pretty much an all year activity though) and Toys for Tots and the girls always put some change or small bills in the bell ringers bucket when we go to the store. I wish I could do more but with cash a bit strapped I'm at my limit.

 

[LaDY]

I always do the shoe box appeal x

AngelofTroy here is the link to the show box appeal:

https://www.samaritans-purse.org.uk/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/

x

 

[Natasha2605]

I donate to the Food Bank if there is a collection in a local supermarkert. I also do the Forth One Radio Toy appeal. This year I'll take both the girls with me to choose a small toy to donate

 

[gingajewel]

I do the shoebox appeal and have also got two black bags of my lo's old toys to take to the woman's refuge.

 

[Rhi_Rhi1]

I used to do the shoebox appeal when I was little. However now I'm uncomfortable with it (personal views on religion etc)

Quite sadly I don't think I do anything =/ that's quite uncaring really isn't it. I do find though that whenever I try and do something nice I get told "sorry we have enough donations" or " we have enough volunteers" so yeah I end up doing nothing. I mean yeah I buy charity shop Christmas cards but does that count =s

 

[AngelofTroy]

I used to do the shoebox appeal when I was little. However now I'm uncomfortable with it (personal views on religion etc)

Quite sadly I don't think I do anything =/ that's quite uncaring really isn't it. I do find though that whenever I try and do something nice I get told "sorry we have enough donations" or " we have enough volunteers" so yeah I end up doing nothing. I mean yeah I buy charity shop Christmas cards but does that count =s

I have the same reservations about the religious aspect. I'll be giving to good banks in the supermarket though and my friend works in a homeless shelter, I've contacted her asking if they could use some old hoodies and jumpers we're clearing out.

 

[Rhi_Rhi1]

I used to do the shoebox appeal when I was little. However now I'm uncomfortable with it (personal views on religion etc)

Quite sadly I don't think I do anything =/ that's quite uncaring really isn't it. I do find though that whenever I try and do something nice I get told "sorry we have enough donations" or " we have enough volunteers" so yeah I end up doing nothing. I mean yeah I buy charity shop Christmas cards but does that count =s

I have the same reservations about the religious aspect. I'll be giving to good banks in the supermarket though and my friend works in a homeless shelter, I've contacted her asking if they could use some old hoodies and jumpers we're clearing out.

That's a good idea. I overlooked that. They Have them big food collections on the way out of all the big supermarkets aswell.

AFter I posted I did a quick Google and found there are actually two separate toy appeals going on in my town ATM. So I think that's something I could do and involve the boys in. Well they can pick the gifts.

 

[Mummy Bean]

as your in london one of the best I found is the metropolitan police christmas tree project- where each Borough has a tree with ribbons and you pick a ribbon and it has details of a kid that currently in foster or care home and you buy them a present a hand it in and they get police offices dressed as santa to deliver them of xmas!!!

amazing idea - and you can select a ribbon online (I can't find our tree and I live opposite the council building??)

 

[sequeena]

We did shoebox appeal for the first time this year and also donate to food bank and buy charity christmas cards.