Those less fortunate..

[adultcat]

My teenage daughter says there's nothing she really wants for Christmas enter shocked face
So, we'd like to give something to those less fortunate with some of the money she'd have spent on her. I don't know what though!
Somewhere she can actually go and realise how lucky she is... Any suggestions??
I don't know if we can go along to food banks or charities?

TIA!

If you live in a town or city you could make small hampers for the homeless?
I visited a city last week and was shocked how many homeless people there were in doorways, many were young women. You could make up bags with a few essentials in and hand them out?

That's a nice idea, we do live near a big city. Thank you!

All the churches in our town are clubbing together to open the churches to the homeless to sleep in through the winter months. We are looking for donations for beds, bedding, dry socks etc, along with money to buy food to give them a decent evening meal and breakfast. Maybe your local town might have a similar scheme? We are desperate for volunteers...
We also do feeding the roofless on a weekly basis and donations towards food and volunteers always welcome.
A reverse advent calendar where you add tinned/dried items and toiletries through November and then donate to a foodbank in Early December is also a good idea. Our foodbank usage has gone up massively this year and donations always very very welcome.

Handing out to homeless people can be difficult (they often don't want it for a lot of reasons) so it might not fill her with the spirit of charitable giving. You can buy someone a night at Crisis for £28 on their website. Salvation Army are doing a present appeal. I think UNICEF are selling the gift of 100 polio vaccines for £15, and there's always Oxfam's classic goat or mosquito net.

I know these don't exactly show her how other people live, but they're very helpful. Also, food bank always want your contributions, especially in the run up to Christmas when food is so important

Good Gifts website also an option.

I take my dcs shopping to the supermarket before Christmas and give them an amount they can spend (about what I would have spent on them previously). They then put together a food hamper and pencil cases with supplies for charity.

What about Toilet Twinning? It's about £60 and you get a certificate to frame to put in your loo with the coordinates of your sponsored loo. I can't do clicks links.

Or sponsoring a child? It's about £20 a month and you'd get letters or drawings a few times a year.

Send some donations to beauty banks (www.the-pool.com/beauty/beauty-honestly/2018/7/Sali-Hughes-and-Jo-Jones-launch-Beauty-Banks). They collect toiletries & sanitary products for those who can't afford them.

Agree that handing things out to homeless people might not be a positive experience. I think your DD may find it upsetting if she hands things out, only to be asked for cash and told to fuck off if she doesn't give it. Of course, many homeless people would be grateful and act accordingly but a high proportion, particularly of rough sleepers, have mental health or substance abuse issues which make their behaviour unpredictable at best, which might be upsetting.

Donating money to Crisis or a similar charity might be a better idea. I understand that it's no longer possible to volunteer for Crisis until you're 18 for safeguarding reasons, but you may be able to find a smaller local organisation she could volunteer with.

Food banks often need volunteers. I don't know whether they have an age restriction- why not give your local one a call?

You could do something like postpals Christmas appeal. Then she can actually see what you buy and post it off, it goes to very poorly children and their siblings. May not be in the 'less fortunate category' but it means she gets to see who the presents are going to as you get assigned a child.

Local to me there's a charity that is doing Christmas dinner for those who would otherwise be alone. Would be a lovely way to spend some of the day making others happy and being grateful to have family to share Christmas with.

Otherwise maybe buying a magazine subscription for a nursing home and going in to spend time with residents who may not have family who visit. (Biscuits would go down well there too!)

Donating to food banks, but nicer items than baked beans and pasta! I usually put in some chocolate Santa's, biscuits, advent calendars,

Great ideas here

Thank you

Where I live there is a charity that are asking for filled stockings for the homeless. There is a list of specific things to put in them and then they will hand them out over Christmas.

We always do a food shop for the food bank but take it after Christmas as our food bank gets so many donations before Christmas and struggle after.

www.refuge.org.uk/Christmas-gift-list/

The refuge charity gift list is a good cause. What a wonderful, selfless daughter you have.

I've got this on my Christmas list. It's not taking her somewhere where she can see how lucky she is (though as she isn't asking for things just for the sake of it, maybe she knows she's lucky?) but It would give something she can see in a way many charity gifts don't.

Darn, forgot the link!

www.kenyanschoolsproject.co.uk/sponsor_a_desk.html

If you happen to be anywhere near there's 'Glasgow's spirit of Christmas' - people pledge gifts as a sort of secret Santa for charities and other organisations to give out to service users who would benefit from a bit of joy.

You and your daughter sound lovely! What a lovely girl, you must be very proud of how you have brought her up. Lovely idea

I give to the Salvation Army at Christmas, for meals for homeless people

I have never met a ungreatful homeless person or been told to fuck off. Yes some do have mental health issues but a lot are well educated people who have fallen in hard times, most are greatful with food, warm socks or a Costa coffee card.

I would be more warry of giving to a charity and not actually seeing where your money is being spent.

No real suggestions as the other posters have given great ideas, but I just wanted to say you and your DD sound lovely

Some charities have an amazon wish list. I always donate something to a different charity each year and was able to buy something for a local animal charity last year using this.

I like it as you can pick the item/s off the wish list so you know exactly where your money is going and the item is sent directly to the charity. I'm not sure which charities have this but if you want to pick a local one then perhaps your DD could visit to see how her item is being used.

I bought for a dog rescue and purchased some ID dog tags from their wish list (address/phone details etc if dog becomes lost).

We buy gifts for our local women's refuge. I try to get each of the dc to choose a toy, I buy a gift for a woman and a gift voucher for a teen.

We’ve have a local charity called (name of our town) Brighter Beginnings. I know that other towns have them. They support women leaving abusive relationships all year round, and do an Amazon with wish list at Christmas for the women and children that they help. Maybe your town does similar.

Also, our local food bank has piblished a list of food and treats for for a family of four, or a single person, at Christmas, that they are asking for donations to. You can buy everything on the list or just one thing.

Salvation Army usually want gloves, hats, warm socks etc which they give out to rough sleepers on their rounds. One year our local womens' refuge asked for shoeboxes with small gifts for the women. Many people donate toys for the children but the women go without. We made some up in work with toiletries, make up, nice bits and pieces that weren't necessities but would make people feel good.