Christmas is the perfect time to give back to your community and those around you. As a student you might not have a lot of spare money, but during the holidays while you’re not in lectures and seminars you may find yourself with some more spare time! Below you’ll find some easy ways to give back this Christmas…
Donate to your local food bank
Even if you don’t have a lot of spare cash, you might still be able to pick up a few things to give to your local food bank. Have a look on their website and see what they’re in need of – then next time you’re in the supermarket, grab some extras to donate. You might find a trolley near the exit of the shop where you can easily pop your donations, or you might need to deliver them to the food bank itself. You’ll be helping families eat well over the festive season, which is a brilliant way to give back at Christmas.
Visit your local charity shops
Have a clear out, and take a bunch of unwanted stuff to your local charity shop. This way they can sell it on, and the money goes to local and national charities to help with research, funding and more. You can also shop second hand, making Christmas cheaper for you and better for the planet – this also helps to donate money to these worthy charities.
Donate your time
There are plenty of ways you can donate your time over the festive season; volunteer at a food bank or charity shop, or see if there are any events taking place that need volunteers. Look at visiting care homes or animal sanctuaries that might need a helping hand during this time of year, and see if people in your community need any odd jobs doing or just somebody to spend time with. Elderly people especially can find this time of year really lonely, and you can definitely help with that. Your time is so incredibly valuable, and people will be so grateful for anything you can offer.
Give gifts to those in need
Some families don’t have extra money to spend on Christmas gifts, which means there are many children across the country who wake up on the 25th December with nothing to open. You will be able to find plenty of local and national programmes aimed at helping to solve this issue; you’ll get to pick a child of a certain age and gender, and fulfil their Christmas wish list. The gifts tend to be practical items like gloves, skincare, socks and so on – it will truly make you appreciate how lucky you are!
These are just a few easy ways to give back this Christmas, which is really important. If you’re in a position to do so, then aim to do at least one of these things over the upcoming festive period. You’ll feel better for it, we’re sure…
