Opportunities to Lend a Hand on Christmas Day in Six Locations
Volunteering during the festive season can make a significant difference in people's lives, and there are numerous opportunities available for those looking to lend a helping hand.
This Christmas, consider giving back by volunteering on Christmas Day. GVI, an organisation aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), offers international volunteer programs that allow you to make a positive impact. From scuba-diving and contributing to a rainwater harvesting project in Fiji, to hiking through forests and collecting data on endangered lemurs in Madagascar, or assisting with sea turtle conservation efforts in Thailand, GVI offers a range of Christmas volunteer opportunities in locations around the world.
In addition to international volunteering, there are numerous opportunities closer to home. Women's shelters and refuges may have Christmas Day volunteer opportunities, providing support to women and children who may be experiencing domestic violence or homelessness. You can also volunteer on Christmas Day in a women's refuge to support women survivors of domestic violence.
Soup kitchens and night shelters are popular places to volunteer on Christmas Day, with activities such as serving meals, packing emergency food parcels, or sorting through donated goods. Volunteering at these establishments can help alleviate the high demand for volunteers during the holiday season, and provide much-needed support to those in need.
Hospitals are also meaningful places to volunteer on Christmas, as you can help to cheer up people spending the holidays away from home. Hospital volunteers can help to provide social interaction, make mealtimes more sociable, or assist visitors by giving them a warm welcome and helping out with directions around the hospital. Many hospitals also welcome help with fundraising over the holiday period.
Animal shelters are particularly busy during the Christmas period, with many pets being surrendered to them during the holiday season. Volunteering at local animal shelters can help care for the resident animals and provide them with much-needed support.
Care centres for women and children in shelters can benefit from assistance in the form of donated toiletries, clothes, and toys. The time of year is one of the busiest for animal shelters, making volunteers essential for the care and well-being of the animals.
In Germany, you can support people in need on Christmas Day by volunteering with the Bahnhofsmission (train station mission), which offers help to travelers and homeless individuals, or by assisting in warming centers set up by the Diakonie and the Evangelical Church to provide shelter and information during cold seasons. You may also help through church-related social advice services, homeless aid organizations, or community projects beyond meal services, animal shelters, nursing homes, and women's refugee homes.
In conclusion, this Christmas, instead of spending the day huddled inside, consider participating in international voluntary work or helping out locally to make a positive impact on someone's life. Your efforts can bring joy and support to those who need it most, making this holiday season a memorable one for all the right reasons.
Photographs courtesy of Autri Taheri, Jeremy Bishop, and Rodion Kutsaiev.
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