Helping other people at Christmas may be something you try and do every year, but after the horrors of the last two years, finding ways to volunteer over Christmas 2021 is more important than ever. Whether it's combating the huge homelessness crisis made worse by the pandemic, or bringing some joy to those hospitalised with Covid-19 right now - there are tons of ways to volunteer this Christmas to spread cheer beyond your household.
More people than ever seem to want to too, with 'how to volunteer at Christmas' and 'how to help at Christmas' trending on Google. The last two years may have felt divisive, but its times like this that show how much we can truly all come together to help those in need over the festive season.
So, if you want to volunteer this Christmas or help out in any way you can, here's some practical ways you can do just that...
How to volunteer to help the homeless this Christmas
With Crisis, volunteering at Christmas means you’ll be helping provide homeless people with safe places to sleep, hot meals and support they desperately need this time of year.
'2021 has continued to be difficult for lots of us as we slowly emerge from the pandemic,' the Crisis website reads. 'More than ever, we’ve been reminded how much we depend on each other for connection, hope and support, and of the importance of a safe, secure home. Sadly, this Christmas thousands of people will be alone with nowhere to call home – and many will be experiencing their first without a secure and safe home this Christmas.
'This year marks the 50th anniversary of our Crisis Christmas centres,' it continues. 'In planning for our services this Christmas, the welfare and safety of our guests has been at the forefront of all our decision making and our staff team have worked hard to come up with a plan to manage this risk, alongside ensuring that the support and housing needs of our guests are met.'
On the Crisis website, you can see what help is needed in your area here, with the charity encouraging sponsored volunteering this year too – meaning your family and friends can sponsor you as a volunteer in turn helping generate funds for the charities all-important work.
How to help end food poverty this Christmas
With many our Christmas parties turning virtual last year, Trussell Trust came up with the genius idea to host them with a fundraising element. This year, they're bringing back the campaign as many companies are again going virtual in response to the Omicron variant. With a virtual Christmas party, the money you would’ve spent at your normal do can be donated to their efforts to end food-poverty across the UK.
'More than 5,100 emergency food parcels were provided for people every day from April until September this year on average, by food banks in the Trussell Trust network. That’s at least three parcels given every minute and is an 11% increase compared to the same period in 2019, as need for emergency food remains well above pre-pandemic levels,' their website reads.
'Our food bank managers expect need to grow further still, saying they will need to provide more than 7,000 food parcels a day during December, as many families are faced with an even tougher winter ahead,' Emma Revie, chief executive at the Trussell Trust, said.
Hosting your Christmas party with Trussell Trust is simple, you can register on their website, invite your friends and colleagues and send them your fundraising page to donate. ‘All they need to donate is their time and whatever they can afford, to help us all work together to build a Hunger Free Future,’ the charity says.
How to support your local area this Christmas
Working to improve your local community has been even more important this year, with huge efforts made to shop and dine locally over the past two years. Now, turn that attention to local charities that need volunteers in their shops, call centres and beyond - in areas where it's allowed, of course.. From stock controller roles to telephone recovery support, you can find out what your local area needs on Do It – click here for more information.
How to help victims of domestic violence this Christmas
As calls to domestic violence charities reached breaking point during the pandemic, charities like Refuge need your support more than ever. Their Christmas Appeal is simple: they need donations to help keep their service alive. You can make a donation, send a Christmas gift to a survivor in need or buy a Refuge parcel – which includes anything from emergency support accommodation to giving a family in need Christmas dinner.
How to support the elderly this Christmas
Charity Re-Engage works to make sure no-one over the age of 75 spends Christmas alone, with more than 1.4million older people suffering from loneliness. ‘The Covid-19 crisis is particularly devastating for these people and many are feeling incredibly vulnerable, especially those with few family members or friends to talk to,’ their website reads.
There are a number of ways to help this Christmas. Last year, Re-Engage set up a UK-wide call champions service where older people could receive a regular friendly phone call, which you can still sign up to do.
You can also volunteer to take part in activity groups or get involved in their tea party initiative, by either hosting, co-ordinating or driving guests to and from the events. Of course, there are covid guidelines you must read before taking part, particularly with the rise of the Omicron variant putting social gatherings at risk.
'As we all know, the message from scientists and business, as well as government, is that we aren’t out of the woods yet,' their website reads. 'As our tea parties restart, we ask that our volunteers keep abreast of all official guidance both nationally and locally. We will continue to update this page with links to information from reliable sources.
You can find our more abut their covid policy here, and read their FAQ page here.
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