It’s the season of giving, and while we’re inclined to give to loved ones and friends, how about giving to the needy and less fortunate?
Here are some initiatives this Christmas that will fill many a heart with love and joy.
Get a bargain that benefits a charity
Shopping for furniture, clothes, collectibles and housewares? Try the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS) Shops for a bargain, and still help a worthy cause.
There are four thrift shops around the island created to raise funds for this charity, each holding a sale with a discount of up to 50 per cent off items.
This social enterprise initiative serves as a valuable avenue for intellectually disabled clients to learn how to interact with customers, as well as sorting and tagging merchandise.
Learn more here.
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Help feed the less fortunate
Make a difference by donating food to the less fortunate. Food From The Heart is partnering Giant Singapore this Christmas for a food drive. The charity has been helping the less fortunate through its food distribution programme since 2003.
You can purchase and donate food by dropping them off in Gift Cages at various Giant stores from now till Christmas Day. Also, if you would like to give away old toys in good condition, you can give them to the charity’s Toys from the Heart programme. Gift Cages for old toys are located at Giant Tampines Hypermarket.
Learn more here.
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Have stuff you don’t need? Pass it on
Do you have items in the house that you don’t really need? Give it a new lease of life by donating to someone who really needs it. Pass-It-On is a non-profit project which distributes unwanted but still useful items to the needy.
The online platform lists items needed by voluntary welfare organisations, including family service centres and senior citizen centres. If you have an item that is wished for, simply click on the “I Can Donate!” button next to the item.
Learn more here.
One for our furry friends
Don’t forget about our furry friends this festive season. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals needs your help to make donations, and they have an annually compiled Christmas Wish List for that.
You can donate specific items from cat litter and animal feed, to vaccines and disinfectant. All you need to do is to indicate the product number and the quantity while making payment for your donations.
Learn more here.
Donate while getting your gifts wrapped
With so many presents to wrap this season of giving, why not get volunteers to help you with the wrapping, in exchange for a $1 donation?
LoveFAD, which stands for Love For A Dollar, offers gift-wrapping services for a minimum donation of just one dollar. Starting out as a service-learning project from Anderson Junior College in 2007, the volunteer group hopes to goal raise at least $30,000 this year.
About 300 volunteers are expected to help out in booths across five malls – Jem, Westgate, Waterway Point, Tampines Mall and Bedok Mall. The initiative is currently ongoing, with volunteers taking on various shifts throughout the day. Last-minute shoppers, rejoice — LoveFAD’s sessions will run till Christmas Eve, its last day.
Learn more here.
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Raise money for meals for low-income folk
Singer-songwriter Elson Soh started the Facebook group, Project Awareness, in 2013 to promote the spirit of sharing and giving through volunteerism with weekly initiatives.
One of these is an initiative to distribute meals to old folks and low-income families. The Old Folk Meal Distribution project aims to raise $20,000 for 7,200 packets of meals. While not exactly a Christmas initiative, your support now will go towards providing 1,200 meals monthly, from January to June 2018, to underprivileged old folks staying in rental flats.
Learn more here.
How about something for our migrant workers?
Spread the festive cheer by showing your appreciation for the migrant worker community who have contributed to our nation’s success. Run by volunteer group itsrainingraincoats, this simple initiative calls on the public to donate used items like mobile phones, umbrellas, caps and backpacks this Christmas.
Contact the organiser via Facebook or WhatsApp to arrange a date and time to drop off the items. Alternatively, you can pass these directly to migrant workers you come across.
Learn more here.
With so many choices, it’s never been easier to spread joy and happiness to the people who need it the most.