CHARITY
HOW TO
Give Back this Christmas
THE SEASON OF GOODWILL , CHRISTMAS IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT TIMES TO BE PROACTIVE WHEN IT COMES TO GIVING BACK TO OUR COMMUNITIES AND HELPING THOSE THAT NEED OUR SUPPORT THE MOST .
PILGRIMS HOSPICES – TREES OF LOVE 2023
A season that marks the end of our calendar year , Christmas is a time of great reflection . An opportunity to pause and take a moment to be thankful for everything and everyone we have in our lives , the spirit of this ancient Christian festival remains to be the combined act of both gratitude and giving . In the traditional translation of the angel ’ s song over Bethlehem , they sang “ on earth peace , goodwill toward men .” That traditional language shows up in many of our carols , folklore and traditions around this season . A spirit perfectly captured by Kent ’ s Charles Dickens in his transformed character Scrooge in A Christmas Carol , ‘ goodwill to all men ’ ( and animals ) should always be our priority at this time that can easily get overshadowed by consumerism and consumption . This , therefore , makes Christmas the perfect time to give back .
Although for many of us Christmas is a time of joy and celebration spent with our loved ones , it can also be one of the most difficult periods of the year . According to the charity , Samaritans , each Christmas , hundreds of selfless volunteers get ready to listen for over 100,000 hours at the other end of the phone to a stranger in need . Being on the frontline of the cost-of-living crisis , Samaritans are now answering over 400 calls a day from people consumed by money worries and this number is expected to rise dramatically over the festive period . Nuala Dalton , a volunteer for the charity said : “ Christmas can bring up a lot of issues for people . We have the perception everything should be perfect on Christmas Day , but it may not be perfect inside your head . We get callers grateful that you ’ re there , callers whose normal support services are closed , some who are recently bereaved , callers who are very lonely , and other callers who are alone but delighted to be on their own because of family dynamics ."
Samaritans is encouraging us all to give the gift of listening by telling friends and family it ’ s OK to open up if something is troubling you . To make it easy , the charity has produced a set of vouchers that are available for download from their website ( www . samaritans . org ) to give as presents , offering yourself as a listening ear . You can invite someone to confide in you over a coffee , while out on a walk , or in whatever way you feel they will be most comfortable with . “ Socks won ’ t save a life , but listening can .” An important reminder for everyone to check in on vulnerable friends and neighbours this season .
Elderly people are perfect examples of who we should check in on , with many more likely to feel lonely over the Christmas period ; according to charity
Age UK , around 1.5 million . You can help make this Christmas a little brighter for a lonely older person by donating or volunteering with Age UK at www . ageuk . org . uk . The charity say they have seen increased reliance on their telephone support services in 2023 , expecting the 31,471 calls made to their Advice Line last Christmas to grow .
As the cost-of-living crisis continues to worsen the housing emergency , Shelter predicts that over 120,710 children in England will be homeless and living in temporary accommodation , with this equating to one in every 100 children in the country being homeless . The charity expects this figure to grow as the cost-of-living crisis gets worse . There are plenty of ways that you can help with homelessness across Kent , with many local charities such as Emmaus and Porchlight helping to tackle the issue . “ Right now , homelessness is destroying lives and affecting thousands of men , women and children across Kent ,” says Porchlight . “ Christmas is a great time to start – and continue – fundraising , donating or volunteering for Porchlight . By doing this you ' ll help make sure that everyone in Kent has a safe place to call home , not just at Christmas .”
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