Giving Back During Christmas

The most wonderful time of the year is nearly here! Prepare the xmas tree, xmas cards, and cue those xmas lights! We’re counting down the days to Christmas, which means gifts have been wrapped or are underway to your beloved’s doorsteps. Are you celebrating Christmas differently this year? Perhaps this year you’re starting to celebrate Christmas more mindfully or sustainably by paying attention to zero-waste gifting? Or better yet, perhaps you’ve been celebrating Christmas sustainably this entire time, and are continuously innovating the occasion in even more sustainable ways? 

As we’re entering the new year, it’s great to make changes early on and end 2021 on a more mindful note. The team at 1 People invites you to practice sustainable gifting for your last-minute fix—gifts don’t necessarily have to be pricey to be meaningful, nor excessive. For instance, you can even repurpose some packaging as gift wraps and personalise the look of it yourself to make the gift extra meaningful and impactful for the receiver. Often times, it’s the thought that matters more than the gift itself.

Other than gifting as an activity to accomplish during the holidays, there are other fun hyggelig holiday activities to enjoy in the cold—whether that’s inside or outside. Watching Christmas lights and attending Christmas markets the Danish way are favourite activities for both adults and children. Danes even have a different way of celebrating Christmas, in addition to visiting Christmas markets, of course. We have covered this in a previous journal entry if you want to read more about it.

If you’re looking to perform more kindness during Christmas—such as giving back to the community, or even helping out the less fortunate—, we’ve lined up some eventful ideas to help you out. Let’s talk about them below.

Donate clothes to people in need

Do you have clothes that are just sitting at the back of your closet, barely even worn? If you think you’re not going to wear it again, rather than throwing them away, why not donate it to those in need? Christmas falls on one of the coldest times of the year, there are people who are in need of clothing—whether those are warm coats, or even basic t-shirts. 

Not only will donating clothes be beneficial for others, as it is also the more sustainable and less wasteful choice. If old items can be given new values for others, then why not opt for this choice rather than adding more harm and litter for the planet?

Donate toys to children

Perhaps you have children’s toys that you’d like to give away to children in foster care? Whether that’s your own child’s toys or nephew’s and niece’s, when toys don’t get used anymore it’s always a good idea to pass them on to the next generation of kids. What was once treasure for your child, nephew or niece, could be a newfound gem for someone else. Donating toys could even be a great gifting idea for foster homes, daycare facilities, and more to enliven the Christmas spirit.

Donating to a charity of your choice

You can always donate to a charity of your choice to help out a cause you care deeply about. Share the Christmas spirit by helping others achieve betterment through your donation. This is a form of giving back that is not to be underestimated, because your hard-earned money would then be used to fuel growth and value for someone else.

At 1 People, the team has donated to Yayasan Solemen Indonesia, a foundation that aims to help impoverished locals in the rural areas of Bali with basic amenities and any health services. The team has also donated to HOPE Business For Good to realise their project of building a school outside of Santa Fe, the Philippines, which had no schools prior to this. Another foundation that is close to the 1 People team’s hearts is The Sumba Foundation—a donation to this charity will help eradicate poverty in local communities. These foundations—and the mission and vision they uphold—are close to 1 People’s core values of responsibility and empowerment, all the whilst aiming to eradicate poverty and promote the importance of education for the future. 

Volunteer work

There are other ways to help out your favourite foundations than just donating. Perhaps you’ll feel a greater sense of accomplishment if you put in the hours and effort to do volunteer work. Volunteering is a great way to connect with the community or get to know the foundation you care deeply about. It’s a great way to spend Christmas time—make it the volunteering holidays that you’ve always thought of. It will certainly make for an enlightening experience after all.

Volunteering matters. The time and effort you put in for a cause, especially during Christmas, will show your selfless intent to help others at a time where they need it most.

Host a Christmas party for children

Celebrate the Christmas spirit together with kids from various foundations, schools, or foster care to make it a lively festivity! Make it a fun time not just for the children but also the adults who are volunteering to make this occasion happen. Revel in the hyggelig moment with fun Christmas games and activities as well as homemade hearty food and drinks together!

Cook or provide hot meals to people in need 

Volunteer at a food bank to provide sustenance for families living in poverty all year round, most especially in Christmas. Christmas happens at one of the coldest times of the year, which means warm and healthy food is important to remain nourished. Unfortunately, some people are not able to have this luxury, which means food provision will certainly change the lives of people who need it most.

Accompanying someone lonely this Christmas

Christmas time and the holidays are times filled with festive cheer, therefore some might find it disheartening when they have to spend it alone. This is mostly the case for the elderly who may be spending this time in the hospital or retirement home. Especially since the pandemic, people are forced to be separated from their family. According to The Guardian, in 2020 more than a quarter of people will not see their loved ones during the festive period and two in five people are worried about a relative or friend being lonely during Christmas. Feelings of isolation do not bode well on our wellness and wellbeing, which means it’s important to prevent this from happening. 

Volunteering to provide companionship support or delivering essential supplies and activity packs are great ways to make someone else’s day brighter during the holidays.

Read to children

Magical moments are what makes Christmas lively, and what’s more magical than letting the imaginations of the youths run wild? By reading to children at foster homes, schools, and/or NGO foundations, we are inspiring story-filled moments to brighten up their Christmas and festive spirits. There will be a boomerang effect on us, because spreading happiness and joy is contagious.

Host a sustainable wrapping workshop

Teach children and adults in NGOs how to wrap gifts and presents using leftover materials and spread the zero-waste gifting spirit. For instance, by showing how you can clean used plastic sachets and repurpose it as packaging in the form of trendy and stylish tote bags, which can be used again and again. You can also get creative in simple ways by reusing your chips packaging inside-out.

Ending this journal with a warm Christmas wish for you!

We hope that you get to reunite safely with your friends and family during this momentous period. Here’s to spending warm, hyggelig moments whilst wearing the cosiest comfort wear to accompany your Christmas moments. Whether that’s in giving back or spending it with your family, we hope you revel in the joys of togetherness in the most indulging ways.

Much Love,

1 People