Beyond the gift shopping and the Christmas reunions, the holiday season is the time to give back to the community that needs it. If you want to help out but don’t know where to start, let this list guide you to finding a charitable cause this season! From donating your old toys to feeding a few rescued dogs at the animal shelter, these simple actions truly live up to the spirit of giving.
Give away your childhood toys
Still have the toys you once loved somewhere in your home? Make another child happy by sending them over to the Philippine Toy Library, a non-profit organization that turns idle spaces in barangays, schools, or parishes into playrooms for the less fortunate kids. Apart from toys, they accept book and chair donations as well!
Click here to donate.
Help a family experience a Noche Buena
Project Pearls, a non-profit organization formed to help the children living in Helping Hand, Tondo, Manila, will be holding their annual feeding program on Christmas day. This impoverished community makes a living off of selling “pag pag” (a.k.a recycled meals). Leftover food from the landfill like chickens from your go-to fast food chains are cleaned and re-cooked, and it will then be served as a meal to their neighbors (or even to themselves).
By donating P1,000, you can help “ensure that their holiday meals are not from garbage or from cans”, states the Project Pearl. Holiday food packs, along with Christmas gifts, will be given to at least 1,500 families.
Click here to donate.
Go grocery shopping for an abandoned elderly
Instead of thinking about how they are doing, think instead of what you can do for them.#23YearsofMercy #BeTheLight
Posted by Anawim Lay Missions Foundation, Inc. on Friday, 30 November 2018
On your next visit to the grocery, you might want to add a few special things to your cart! Anawim Lay Missions Foundation Inc. is a charity organization that provides a home for the poor and abandoned elderly—and they need your help to sustain this mission. You can choose to volunteer your time or you can also send out a special gift, containing the elderly’s needs, including food, personal hygiene products, cleaning materials, and medicines.
Click here to donate.
Grant a dog’s Christmas wishlist
If you’ve got a soft spot for dogs and cats, this one’s for you! PAWS Philippines, the home to animals rescued from either cruelty or neglect, is holding a holiday campaign called #PAWSSecretSanta. Over on their Instagram page, you’ll find a sheltered pet’s wishlist, including needs like canned dog foods, chew toys, or milks, which will aid in its rehabilitation. You can directly drop your present at the shelter, and even meet your newfound furry friend!
Click here to learn more.
Donate a bag of old clothes
With the new year coming, the urge to start fresh is stronger than ever—why not start with your wardrobe? H&M accepts donations of old clothes from any brand, which will either be reworn as it will be sold as secondhand items, reused as cleaning cloths, or recycled as textile fibers. Head over to your nearest H&M store so you can leave your bag of unused clothes, and you’ll be rewarded with a 15% discount voucher.
Click here to know more.
