What do you do for charities around christmas time?

[Lifeisshort123]

I was wondering what other do to teach their children about helping those in need over the christmas period?
We always do christmas shoeboxes as I have had the opportunity to hand deliver these boxes and its a very personal thing for me, I also let each of my kids pick out an item of food for our local food bank of there choice as long as it was on the list. I was thinking of doing the shoeboxes and something else apart from letting the kids pick something for our local food bank.
I know its only september but christmas will be here before we know it!

Slightly perplexed as to why you expected the hospital to provide clothes for your DC. Didn't you do that? Where is this incredible hospital? Last couple of times DS was admitted, we had to bring blankets for him because the ward didn't have enough.

I work and have worked for many years with homeless people.

Do:

Treat all people like people all year round. Smile at people. Say hi even if you don't give to beggars. If there are homeless people near you model that every day.

Give in February or March. It's still cold but a lot of places have run out of socks, blankets and so on. Give at other times. Food banks can use food in the summer because of school meal programs not running.

Get involved in community activities.

Don't:

Treat Christmas like its special giving time. People need support all year.

Treat homeless people like a life lesson. They are humans.

Go to shelters and act like its a zoo or Bedlam. Your warm fuzzy feeling shouldn't leave someone else feeling weird or alone.

I do take mince pies every year but I worked there so everyone knows me and it's not weird. If we make too many cakes or have left overs that are fancy, we take those as well.

We practically used to have to chase all the earnest dogooders and their children out every December. No one to be seen after December 24th.

So is this about making children feel good or actually helping people?

This is actually something I feel strongly about. What charities most need is money. Not money given to chuggers or to dodgy charities but money given direct to source for decent charities.

If you can't give money, they also need help so that is a great alternative if you can't donate money.

But I hate the idea that my middle class children who have lovely easy lives could go into a homeless shelter and serve lunch and think that they are doing something wonderful. No they are not. They are doing the least possible required. We made sandwiches for distribution on the street last Sunday and also served lunch. The shelter let us do this so 1. my children could get their required community service hours for high school and 2. we, as donors, would be convinced to donate more - believe me we were. We thanked them for the opportunity.

and I encourage my kids to volunteer also because I hope that when they are earning they will remember this shelter and give a bit to them. If you have cut vegetables next to a guy who was on the streets but now lives in his own home and has a job and who is nice enough to talk to you about it, it will stay in your head when you get your first paycheck. I know it has with my son.

I agree Canyou. It's just the cost of being a human; acknowledging that other people are too.

I find so much 'charity' about othering people and distancing ourselves. There but for the grace of God... I'm a massive atheist but that is true. Any of us could have found ourselves in other shoes. We should try as hard as possible to make sure that no ones life is shit because that could be us. Very easily.

I buy advent calendars in batches and send as many as I can to the food bank. I think someone being able to give their child an advent calendar with a little treat each day for a few weeks is quite nice.

I used to help out at a sheltered accommodation. Most of them hardly saw their families so we did a nice Xmas dinner and a little present wrapped up each.

I've not done anything with the homeless, as I wouldn't know where to start. I'll. Definitely do the shelter thing though.

I do agree to an extent with canyou, a monthly contribution is the best way, charities know what's coming in then and can plan their support accordingly.

Nothing wrong with involving children in volunteering/charity though, it's good for their development as compassionate adults to understand that not everyone is as lucky as they are. It just needs to be handled sensitivity so the recipient doesn't feel patronised I guess.

We supported the food bank at school for one harvest festival. We got so much stuff, and this directly helps families that attend the school so that seems a good experience for children to me.

Our family have spent what we would have on gifts, on charity donations instead for the past few years. Christmas has been less stressful as a result. The children get Christmas presents, and the adults get a charity donation if they wish to.

We tend to donate to local charities such as the SCBU and the hospice, but also larger ones such as cancer research and stroke association.

I always felt uncomfortable/embarrassed unwrapping Christmas gifts as an adult. I love seeing the children unwrap their presents though. I feel a lot better about Christmas with this arrangement. The charities benefit, there's less shopping/wrapping/waste, and I don't have to feel awkward unwrapping stuff I don't need. It's win win win.

I didn't! He went there in the middle of the night and we couldn't leave him to get clean clothes until nearly lunch time the next day.

My home country has a charity at Christmas where you can help a family who struggles. You can donate vouchers for food or buy presents for the children in the family.

Last time I went home for Christmas I helped a single mum in a town near my parents by buying her child some presents (colouring books, pens etc. is what they had wished for) and I think this year I will help another family in need as I will be going home again. I might also shop a little bit for the foodbank here.

It's Blythswood Care that I give shoe boxes through.

Monthly charities are Water Aid, Amnesty International, Athsma UK, Salvation Army (never really thought about their anti-gay stance. Might change this to Shelter) and Save the Children.

Interested to hear if these charities are worthwhile or not and where the money actually goes. I try to research each charity as best I can.

3 years ago I organised a giving tree in Dd's primary and our local nurseries to benefit the nearest women's refuge.
2 years ago dd helped me organise donations to our local food bank at her secondary school.
Last year dd organised a giving tree at her secondary school to benefit a homeless charity in our nearest city.
She's currently planning what to do for this year.

We also donate advent calendars to the food bank, but we donate regularly throughout the year too.

In November I do an extra food bank shop with advent calendars and selection boxes and a few little extra bits.

I donate to the refuge appeal, toys to local appeals and shelter donations.

We also pop in to visit some local ladies who are on their own for Christmas, take them a lunch, some Christmas cake and just spend some time with them.

In January I give all the smellies I get to a charity who provide care packages for homeless women, extra for the good bank and another refuge donation.

I do a monthly food shop, donate toys to the children centre, give Sanpro and general cosmetics (wipes, deodorant and dry shampoo) to a homeless charity and donate to saafa every month.

I volunteer for a charity shop 2 mornings a week and will continue through the festive period.

We have boxes and boxes of Christmas stuff ready to go on the shelves in a few weeks - lots of things like wrap, decorations and gifts. Lots of it brand new. This is a win-win for everyone, the charity gets money, you get a bargain. If you buy charity Christmas cards, please get them direct from the charity shop rather than buying the supermarket ones which say they support a given charity as the charity only gets pennies.

I would also caution against the Samaritan's Purse / Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes as I don't think they're honest about their true intentions and the evangelical organisation behind them makes Donald Trump look like a woolly left wing liberal. Salvation Army usually does a gift collection in the UK, and there are lots of other shoe box operations which are truly no strings attached.

Take socks to the homeless shelter, they are always short.
Donate new toys to social services and a woman's refuge.

I have been involved with these services due to my work with a food bank.

Maybe contact your local council about charities that require bodies over Christmas Day to serve dinners to the elderly in partnership with charities. I used to do it, when the DC were with my ex on Christmas Day and as well as helping the elderly it helped me too

Nothing extra bar the collection tin at the school Christmas play/take in raffle prize etc but then I volunteer with rough sleepers weekly all year round so it's part of my weekly routine anyway (busier in summer than when I worked Christmas Eve/new years ever)

No, I don't think YABU.

Whatever I spend on each of my 2 DC at Xmas, I donate that amount to the Sally Army.

DD saves 10% of her pocket money and any other money she gets for charitable giving. She can use it year round to sponsor friends & family, buy items for the food bank, a toy for the Christmas gift appeal if she wants.

I think it's much more important to instil charitable values all year round than just jump on the bandwagon at Christmas. I'm not sure a child will be be a less selfish adult if they just do some feel good giving during the season of goodwill.

As a family we donate lump sum to food bank in lieu of Xmas cards, but support various causes, including the food bank all year round with smaller donations.

Last year for Christmas I got Operation Christmas child, Samaritans purse banned from my Ds's school. It broke the schools policies of not promoting Islamophobia and Homophobia. DS just started his new school, I plan to repeat last year, getting OCC/ Samaritans purse banned in DS's new school.

When mine were younger, I did a sort of advent calendar where each of the little pockets had a chore in it - washing dishes, helping with laundry, making beds or whatever. When they had done their chore, they would get 50p to put in the pocket. Then, on Christmas eve , they got all the coins and we donated it to a charity of their choice.

We do shoe boxes, I run a food bank so the kids all take a shift helping out. Usually, I organise a fundraising lunch at church for a different charity each year.

Lots of charities do shoe boxes, not just Samaritan s Purse. Our go to Blygheswood cars, through the chur h. It's worth looking into and finding g somethinb less objectionable.

Last year for Christmas I got Operation Christmas child, Samaritans purse banned from my Ds's school. It broke the schools policies of not promoting Islamophobia and Homophobia. DS just started his new school, I plan to repeat last year, getting OCC/ Samaritans purse banned in DS's new school.

Banned or replaced with something you felt was more appropriate?

Great job getting them banned. I'm still trying to work out why my factual posts about Operation Christmas Child were removed by MNHQ.
People doing shoeboxes for them, I would urge you to research them, read the news articles, understand the organization you are supporting. So many people think they are doing a good thing with these shoeboxes and have no idea that they're basically supporting a recruitment drive for the church.