4 ways to help those in need
21 December 2020
During this time of the year, many of you are probably spending time together with your family and friends, having delicious meals and exchanging Christmas gifts. At the same time, there are also people who have nowhere to go, struggle with getting food in the first place and face difficulties in their life. Poverty is much closer to you than you might think, and the people close to you or around you might struggle without you knowing it.
Small acts of kindness can help those who are struggling. It may be something small in your eyes, but it could have a big impact on them. So, in the spirit of Christmas, we would like to share 4 ways to help others in need.
1. Donate to or volunteer at a food bank
Food banks are helping those living in poverty and provide food packages consisting of products that are donated by organizations and individuals. Volunteers sort the donated products and prepare the packages. You can help the people in your community by either donating food or money or volunteering in your neighborhood's food bank.
“I think it feels good to help others. In order for my niece and brother to donate to the FoodBank I gave my niece 10 euros and I spent 10 euros in the supermarket on food for my brother. To me 20 euros is a relatively small amount, but I think if everyone who can help actually helps, it would make a big difference.” -- Patricia
2. Support charities or similar organisations
You could either volunteer or donate money to charities that support the things that you value.
Further, organizations like Soupalicious fight hunger by donating a bowl of soup to the food bank in the Netherlands each time someone purchases a bowl. Their aim is to donate 1 million portions each month. Besides fighting hunger, Soupalicious also fights food waste by using leftover vegetables that are not used or sold anymore. So, by buying your soup from them, you also support the people who are in need of food packages.
3. Make sure that those around you are doing well
Someone once mentioned in a talk that she was visiting an old school friend and only then noticed that this person had been struggling financially. Besides that, 13 percent of the global population suffer from mental health problems. It is therefore important to make sure that the people in your community are doing well. Talk to them, understand their situation and offer help and support wherever you can.
4. Do a reverse advent calendar for others
You are problably familiar with advent calendars, receiving small gifts each day before Christmas. Have you already heard of the reverse advent calendar? This is all about giving instead of receiving. Use your search engine (e.g. Google) to look for inspiration, start collecting the products that you would like to donate and spread happiness amongst those who need it more than you do.
5. Use and purchase more sustainable alternatives
The supply in the stores are determined by our buying behaviour and our demand. This means that the products that you buy also represent what happens during the production. In other words, our buying behaviour has an impact on those who are responsible for the creation of the things we buy. By buying and using more sustainable alternatives of products, we can make sure that the people are paid well and have good working conditions.
Small acts of kindness can help those who are struggling. It may be something small in your eyes, but it could have a big impact on them. So, in the spirit of Christmas, we would like to share 4 ways to help others in need.
1. Donate to or volunteer at a food bank
Food banks are helping those living in poverty and provide food packages consisting of products that are donated by organizations and individuals. Volunteers sort the donated products and prepare the packages. You can help the people in your community by either donating food or money or volunteering in your neighborhood's food bank.
“I think it feels good to help others. In order for my niece and brother to donate to the FoodBank I gave my niece 10 euros and I spent 10 euros in the supermarket on food for my brother. To me 20 euros is a relatively small amount, but I think if everyone who can help actually helps, it would make a big difference.” -- Patricia
2. Support charities or similar organisations
You could either volunteer or donate money to charities that support the things that you value.
Further, organizations like Soupalicious fight hunger by donating a bowl of soup to the food bank in the Netherlands each time someone purchases a bowl. Their aim is to donate 1 million portions each month. Besides fighting hunger, Soupalicious also fights food waste by using leftover vegetables that are not used or sold anymore. So, by buying your soup from them, you also support the people who are in need of food packages.
3. Make sure that those around you are doing well
Someone once mentioned in a talk that she was visiting an old school friend and only then noticed that this person had been struggling financially. Besides that, 13 percent of the global population suffer from mental health problems. It is therefore important to make sure that the people in your community are doing well. Talk to them, understand their situation and offer help and support wherever you can.
4. Do a reverse advent calendar for others
You are problably familiar with advent calendars, receiving small gifts each day before Christmas. Have you already heard of the reverse advent calendar? This is all about giving instead of receiving. Use your search engine (e.g. Google) to look for inspiration, start collecting the products that you would like to donate and spread happiness amongst those who need it more than you do.
5. Use and purchase more sustainable alternatives
The supply in the stores are determined by our buying behaviour and our demand. This means that the products that you buy also represent what happens during the production. In other words, our buying behaviour has an impact on those who are responsible for the creation of the things we buy. By buying and using more sustainable alternatives of products, we can make sure that the people are paid well and have good working conditions.
“For Christmas I bought Happy Soap Bars as a nice way to introduce sustainable bathroom products. My family loved them and they have been very satisfied so far. They were positively surprised with their new soaps.” --Claire
Keep an eye on our website and social media for more Christmas related content! 🎄