How to Help Others Who Are Less Fortunate This Christmas (2024)

Table of contents

• Introduction
• Volunteer
• Give blood
• Befriend an elderly person
• Invite international students over for Christmas
• Gift a refuge parcel
• Help out at a food bank
• Perform simple, random acts of kindness

Table of contents

• Introduction
• Volunteer
• Give blood
• Befriend an elderly person
• Invite international students over for Christmas
• Gift a refuge parcel
• Help out at a food bank
• Perform simple, random acts of kindness

Not at home this Christmas? Here’s how to still make it special

No matter what you do, volunteering is a selfless act that will help transform the lives of many people over the holiday season. If you’re in the US, you can search for volunteering opportunities on the Corporation for National and Community Service’s website, and in the UK you can search on sites like Do-It.org. Of course, another good source for finding volunteering opportunities are the official websites of individual charities. You could lend a hand in a charity shop, help out at a soup kitchen, volunteer for a charity helpline, or volunteer to wrap presents for disadvantaged children.

Make a reverse advent calendar

Alongside opening your own traditional chocolate advent calendar every day, why not make a reverse advent calendar? It’s simple: just begin with an empty box, adding one item of non-perishable food to it every day until Christmas. You can then take it to your local food bank. Check with your nearest food bank to see exactly what should and shouldn’t be included in your box. As well as the basics, you could throw in some treats like cakes and biscuits – alcohol shouldn’t be included, however.

Another way to donate to your local food bank and help those in need this Christmas is to head to the supermarket and get food for the sole purpose of donating it to the food bank.

Another great act of kindness at any time of year, demand for lifesaving blood donations doesn’t slow down at Christmas. If you’re fit and healthy, aged over 17, and weigh over seven stone 12 pounds (or 50kg) you should be able to give blood. The whole experience is relatively quick (although you’ll need to spend some time after your donation being monitored in case you feel light-headed or ill) and is one of the most selfless and rewarding things you can do.

You could also register to give permission for your organs to be donated after your death. In the UK this is the NHS Organ Donor Register, in the US you can register at OrganDonor.gov.

Statistics suggest that as many as one in three elderly people feel lonely and isolated, which can lead to depression and a decline in physical health and wellbeing. If you have any elderly neighbors, even just starting a conversation with them can have such a positive impact. You can also offer to help with practical tasks like shopping or dog-walking or offer to help them get to medical appointments and other activities. Bear in mind that the latter is probably only recommended if you have a pre-existing relationship with them, as a stranger might be intimidated or scared by someone they don’t know intruding on their life. Charities such as Age UK and Independent Age also run volunteering opportunities to befriend an elderly person – if you live too far away to visit in person, you can befriend them via telephone.

Help out children and women escaping domestic abuse this Christmas by gifting a refuge parcel. Refuge parcels range from £10 to £100, so it’s up to you how much you want to donate. Your refuge parcels may provide emergency toiletries, food and clothing for women who have suffered domestic abuse, or even a Christmas present for a child who has lost their favorite toy.

Simple, unexpected acts of kindness at Christmas can really brighten someone’s day and make you feel great about yourself as well. You could…

• Give a generous tip to a friendly customer service worker like a waiter or barista
• Buy a homeless person a sandwich and a hot drink
• Help someone who’s struggling with their luggage on public transport
• Give up your seat to someone on busy public transport
• Buy your friend chocolate (or a drink in the pub!) when they’re feeling down…and listen thoughtfully if they need to vent
• Give genuine compliments
• Offer to take photos for any tourists you see trying to take one of themselves
• Answer questions on freerice.comto provide rice to hungry people

This article was originally published in December 2017. It was updated in December 2019.

Want more content like this?Register for free site membershipto get regular updates and your own personal content feed.