Want to help those in need? Here’s how to pay it forward this holiday season
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Christmas is supposed to be one of the most magical times of year for families – but with lots of locals doing it tough, 2023 is lacking in festive cheer.
With the cost of living on the rise, family and domestic violence continuing to be a major health and welfare issue in Australia, and more people than ever struggling to make ends meet than ever before, it’s a sobering reality check mixed amongst the fun and frivolity of the holiday season.
So – if you can spare some extra change, extra food, or extra time – here are some local organisations and charities that you can pay it forward to this Christmas. Who doesn’t want to spread some good cheer?
Baubles for Babies
This is a fun way to donate much-needed funds this holiday season! Funding medical equipment, research, and nurse education to help sick newborn babies in the ACT region, Baubles for Babies is here to help little bubs and their families in the lead-up to Christmas.
Find out more and donate here.
Canberra Hospital Foundation Givemas
It’s beginning to look a lot like Givemas at the Canberra Hospital. A great way to support patients and their families over the Christmas period, this year the Canberra Hospital Foundation is looking for donations of gifts.
Their Adopt-a-Ward initiative is perfect for a friend group or team at work – allowing you to provide gifts to patients on a particular ward who will find themselves in the hospital over Christmas. The hospital provides a general demographic of the ward, and what gifts the patients might enjoy, then it’s up to you to pay it forward!
Find out more and donate here.
Communities At Work Christmas Donations Appeal
Calling for donations of food, gifts, money, or toys (for both adults and children), Communities At Work is asking for your help to support vulnerable people in the local community by bringing Christmas to people who might otherwise miss out.
You can also make a tax-deductible donation, send a gift card, donate food to their pantries, or host a Giving Tree of your own to collect donations at your workplace, shop, or community space.
Find out more and donate here.
Pack the Bus
As Communities At Work, Transport Canberra, and MIX106.3 launch their Pack the Bus initiative just in time for the festive season, they’re calling for the community to make 2023 another magical year for those who need it most – people who struggle to make ends meet, women and children fleeing domestic violence, and people at risk of homelessness.
Once again taking to the streets with the big, eye-catching, and festive Transport Canberra bus, they’ll be driving around the region to stop at registered workplaces, retail outlets, and schools every weekday until Friday 15 December, collecting essential non-perishable food items and toys for kids and families in need. The aim? To have gifts under every Christmas tree.
Find out more here.
Hundreds for Thousands
The motto for this festive fundraiser is to ‘give where you live’ to help Canberra families have a brighter and merrier Christmas. Started in 2019 by Gungahlin resident Natalie Tanchevski, the goal is to provide 1000 families across Canberra, Queanbeyan, Yass, Cooma, and Goulburn with a $100 grocery gift voucher to use during the silly season.
With 10 Salvation Army centres involved in the fundraiser you can pick and choose which centre to support – so you know exactly where your hard-earned dollars are going.
Find out more and donate here.
Lifeline Canberra
The last few years have been tumultuous, to say the least. At Lifeline Canberra it costs $26 for telephone crisis supporters to answer a phone call – and save a life. By donating this amount (or more, if you can!), you are saving another life this holiday season.
Find out more and donate here
Ronald McDonald House Christmas Appeal
Usually, Christmas is all about spending time with friends and family to make some beautiful memories – but what about those who are seriously ill? This year, Ronald McDonald House is calling for help to support the families of seriously ill and injured children, and premature infants, who are staying at the Ronald McDonald House in Canberra.
Aiming to raise enough money to support 100 nights of accommodation with food and gifts to provide a home-away-from-home this Christmas, every little bit counts.
Find out more and donate here.
RSPCA Giving Tree
Want to help some four-legged friends? The RSPCA ACT is looking for community members to set up a giving tree for pet-related donations.
Set up a tree at your workplace, school, or community centre, and ask for donations of toys, treats, or bedding. Drop off your donations to the Weston location to help the team give them the gift of kindness this Christmas!
Find out more and donate here.
Salvos Christmas Appeal
Making sure nobody struggles alone this Christmas, the Salvos Christmas Appeal is back for another year.
Asking for $90 donations to help make Christmas special for struggling families with special hampers and presents for children, they want to bring hope and joy to people who might be struggling – whether it’s through the housing crisis, financial hardship, or domestic violence.
Find out more and donate here.
Share the Dignity – It’s in the Bag
Share the Dignity is calling on locals to help girls and women who are spending this Christmas in domestic violence refuges, homeless shelters, or living in poverty, by giving basic essentials.
Launching their beloved, It’s in the Bag campaign, they desperately need Adult, Teen or Mum and Bub bags filled with essential items, (and maybe some everyday luxuries) to donate to someone in need for Christmas. All you need to do is drop your donation to any Bunnings by Sunday 26 November and it will be distributed to over 3,000 charities nationwide by their dedicated volunteers.
Find out more and donate here.
Vinnies Christmas Appeal
Want to help families struggling with the cost-of-living crisis this Christmas? The Vinnies Christmas Appeal is back for 2023 – and they need your help.
Asking the Canberra community to rally their support to help those in need, this year they are aiming to raise $300,000 to provide emergency relief in the ACT and surrounding regions. Just $64 can help provide an emergency food hamper so children don’t go hungry – dig deep to make sure no one goes without a meal this festive season.
Find out more and donate here.
GIVIT
Wrap the season with compassion and support those doing it tough. Asking for people to consider donating instead of giving a gift, GIVIT wants to make this festive period a time of giving and not overconsumption.
Working with more than 4,500 support organisations across Australia, they ensure people get what they need when they need it most – whether recovering from an emergency event, or experiencing hardship due to bushfires, floods, domestic and family violence, homelessness, disability, or mental illness.
Search GIVIT give a gift to find out how you can help Aussies doing it tough this Christmas or find out more here.
Volunteering ACT
There’s a critical issue this Christmas: there’s an alarming increase in food insecurity, notably among double-income families.
Last year, 12,500 Canberrans ran out of food, and this year the Canberra Food Relief Network is calling for support to assist local families through donations of time, money, or goods. Launching an interactive map pinpointing food pantries and services across the Canberra region to offer practical support, with Christmas quickly approaching now is the time to ensure no-one in Canberra goes hungry.
Find out more or donate here.
Let’s Give Everyone a Christmas
“Let’s Give…” at UnitingCare Kippax, provides food, new toys for young children, movie tickets for teenagers, gifts for adults and other forms of support to around 500 families each year. That comes out to roughly $125 a family.
For many families, this will be all they have for Christmas. Every donation – every bit of support – makes a difference for a family whose life is difficult at the moment.
Find out more or donate here.
