The season for giving is upon us, and while selecting the perfect presents for our families and friends is one of life’s greatest joys, giving to those less fortunate is perhaps an even more fulfilling feat. This Christmas, consider the latter and support one of the worthy causes we’ve rounded up here.
Give the Gift of Kindness
This December, The Kindness Collective’s Christmas Joy Store is bringing holiday magic to families in need. As New Zealand’s first social toy store, TKC invites the caregivers of over 20,000 children going without to select gifts and groceries for free, offering them both the joy of giving and the
dignity of choice. With persisting financial challenges, many families face a Christmas without presents or even a festive meal. Support the Joy Store by donating new toys, giving online, or contributing to food hampers — every gift helps create a brighter Christmas morning for a child in need.
kindness.org.nz
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Foster Hope
Bringing a little sunshine and hope to New Zealand’s most vulnerable children, Foster Hope collects new Christmas presents for those in care throughout New Zealand, delivering them a gift in time for Christmas. Sadly, the festive season is a peak time for children needing support from protection agencies and emergency service facilities, so this year, brighten the day of a child in need and donate a present via one of the drop-off points (you can call ahead and see what they need the most). The sooner the team can gather gifts, the more time they have to distribute them to social workers around the country, so get in early and foster hope this Christmas.
fosterhope.org.nz
Get Kids Home for Christmas
We all know of the exceptional work Starship does year-round, but at Christmas time, their focus is turned to getting as many sick or injured little ones home to their families for the festive period — kids are the beating heart of Christmas, after all. A donation at this time of year goes a long way towards world-class paediatric care, lifesaving treatments, research, and training to help to ensure the team at Starship are fully equipped across this period to get more kids well enough to make it home and enjoy the holidays with their families. We can’t think of a better cause than that.
starship.org.nz
Eat Out, Do Good
There’s a huge amount of food waste and food poverty happening in New Zealand, and the incredible team at Everybody Eats are tackling these issues head-on, one meal at a time. Across three venues (two in Auckland, one in Wellington), the charity serves chef-prepared, pay-as-you-feel food, using ingredients that would otherwise be destined for the bin. This Christmas, they’ll see even more families in need through their doors, and salvage even more unused or unsold food, and they need your support to keep up the good work. You can help them by making a donation online, giving gift cards to family and friends (every $10 spent feeds two people in need), signing up to volunteer at one of their locations and more.
everybodyeats.nz
Spread Festive Cheer
Sonya Wilson’s charity Kiwi Christmas Books has one objective — to ensure that no child goes without literature. We’re all aware of just how essential reading is to the growth and development of young minds, but sadly, books are something that many don’t have access to across New Zealand. Luckily, Kiwi Christmas Books is here to help, rallying New Zealanders who are already in the gift-giving spirit to buy and donate books this Christmas. The charity accepts baby books, picture books, chapter books, middle grade, young adult and everything in between — even better if they’re by a local author or illustrator. The donation scheme runs until mid-December, so head out to your local independent bookstore and change the Christmas of a deserving Kiwi kid.
kiwichristmasbooks.org.nz
Give the Gift of Safety
It’s heartbreaking to think that domestic violence peaks during the holiday season. While many of us are making Christmas dinner plans and deciding on the perfect gifts for our loved ones, many New Zealanders are simply looking for a safe place to spend the festive season with their families. Women’s Refuge do incredible work in this space, housing women and children subject to domestic violence, and they’ve made it exceptionally simple to support them in doing so, this Christmas and beyond. By donating just $20, you can ensure a safe night for someone experiencing family violence, including a place to stay, hot meals, security, and advice. Gift as many nights as your means will allow, and together we can make sure no New Zealanders are at risk this holiday season.
safenight.nz
