Tis the season to do good

While 28 million people have given up their time to volunteer in one way or another over the last 12 months, charities are still struggling to find help. A third of charities have seen a significant drop in volunteers due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So, what better time to help your neighbour than at Christmas? 

No one can say that charities don’t appreciate donations, but we do know that not everyone can donate, at least not financially. Charities are usually more than welcoming to volunteers, whether that be on an on-off basis or a long-term commitment, and at Christmastime, there is so much we can do to make someone else’s day even just a little bit merrier and brighter.  

Finding a charitable cause to work with or an impactful volunteering opportunity can be hard, especially at Christmastime with so many charities and non-profits reaching out. That’s why we’ve put together this list of ways you can really make an impact this holiday season.  

If you want to get into the Christmas Spirit, here are five ways to do good: 

Aiding those experiencing homelessness

Those experiencing homelessness and sleeping rough are some of the most in need during the Christmas season. It is estimated that over 200,000 families and individuals are facing homelessness this Christmas. Some ways to help include:  

• Supporting businesses that directly help the homeless like Second Shot Coffee where you can also pay it forward for food or drinks

• Gathering coats in good condition for a coat drive, like this one here

• Volunteering at a soup kitchen

• Simply buying someone a warm drink or meal

• Donate to organizations like Beam, the world’s first platform that crowdfunds training for homeless people and supports them into stable work. Learn more about their work, here

Shopping with charity shops

Charity shops provide multiple opportunities to make an impact. If you decide to shop there you are not only financially supporting a worthy cause, but also making an impact on the environment by buying second-hand. Additionally, you can also work shifts to help support them.   

Some charities also have the option for you to purchase gifts for individuals in need like Save the Children and Choose Love.  

Buying gifts with purpose

Christmas gift shopping can be the best, and worst, part of the season. With so many options out there it can be hard to find the right gift. But with the right gift, you can kill two birds with one stone. Buying a gift that gives back will not only brighten the day of your loved one, but it’ll also do some good.  

Today there are so many social enterprises to choose from that can be found with a quick google search like The Tote Project who supports trafficking victims, or WoodWatch who plants three trees with every purchase.  

Supporting food banks

Another community support system that is always in need of assistance is food banks. Every day they help community members get access to food and can often be the main food source of families. In the last year, there has been an increase of 33% of food given out, with almost a million going to children.  

Supporting them includes:  

• Working shifts to hand out food 

• Sorting food  

• Collecting and donating food  

• Volunteering to drive to pick up food 

In December, The Confido team will be doing our part to support food banks by volunteering with The Felix Project. You can learn more about the Felix Project here.  

Get your workplace involved

Encouraging your workplace to volunteer on their own or as a team can have a lasting impact. That is what we strive to accomplish at Confido, by not only working exclusively with Tech for Good companies but practising what we preach. It’s one of our guiding principles and coming together as a company to help others through more than just donations is a key pillar of Confido’s culture.  

One way Confido gives back is by volunteering through onHand, an app that helps people find volunteering opportunities and sponsors missions of good by planting trees for every mission accomplished.  

This Christmas season the Confido team is accepting onHand’s 12 Missions of Christmas and we challenge you to do the same!  

How will you do good this Christmas? Let us know on LinkedIn or Twitter!