Christmas is a time of celebration as well as giving. This year has been tough on all of us, but tougher on some. The economy has started a recession, several have been battling with health issues, some have lost their dear ones. If you’ve landed on this post, you were probably called to action by the happenings of the past year. In this post I will list few Christmas volunteering opportunities in Finland in 2020 – including few you can pursue without leaving your home.

Participate in the Christmas collection of Hope Yhdistys ry

Recently I have shared with you all about the important work of the association Hope Yhdistys. Hope is currently collecting donations for Christmas. The capital area collection point has announced they are looking for toys and gift cards, for example:

• Legos, Barbies, doll accessories, toy cars;
• for older kids: gift cards for electronic shops, cinemas, cafes and restaurants;
• food gift cards for the whole family (for example gift cards for S- or K-markets).

Do not wrap the gifts, to allow families to pick what they need. You can, however, donate also wrapping paper and Christmas cards to allow them to wrap the gifts themselves. Hope’s approach is to allow families in need to pick what they want. This will be the case also for Christmas donations. This year many families have been struggling and Christmas gifts will be the first thing to fall off the budget. Let’s make sure all families get to celebrate.

Make sure all children celebrate Christmas with Joulupuu

Every year Joulupuu (with your help!) makes sure that all children in the Finnish care system find their wish under the tree. The number of children in care slowly increases every year and it’s around 17000 children. You know how this cause is dear to my heart and through my personal experience I have had a chance to see the emotional and practical implications of these children’s situation. Many of these kids live with strict budgets – for example in many institutions they don’t have the resources to throw birthday parties ever; even worse, many live feeling that the whole world has abandoned them. I don’t think this initiative is about the material gift, as much as it is showing up for these kids in a small way. Read more about Joulupuu from this interview post I wrote in 2018.

No one should feel alone at Christmas: Siskot ja Simot

The association Siskot ja Simot promotes an yearly initiative: anyone can write a Christmas wish card to the elderly. I find it a beautiful idea to fight solitude and this year it is needed more than ever: old people have spent a year full of anxiety, they have been isolated by dear ones for health reasons, and they may have lost friends due to corona. I will certainly work with my children to do some handcraft cards and remind the elderly that they are not forgotten. This year the libraries of the Helsinki area will serve as collection points for the cards. Or you can send your cards via mail to the association. Read more about this initiative here.

Donate and find new friends with Jouluapua

Jouluapua is a nonprofit started in 2015. There, families can ask for help or offer assistance around Christmas time. On the Jouluapua website you can find a map listing families currently struggling to celebrate Christmas and what they need (gifts, food, company, …). You can also decide to deliver your donation yourself and meet new friends in your area. I find it a beautiful way to have impact as well as to develop long-lasting connections with people living nearby. Sometimes I sit at home and wonder whom among my neighbours could use my help. Jouluapua is a way to give back to your immediate community.

Grant a family a Christmas dinner with a donation to Hyvä Joulumieli

If you don’t have much time on your hands this season, this one is for you: Hyvä Joulumieli is an initiative promoted by the Red Cross, MLL, and Yle. They collect money donations (from 20 EUR up) and distribute food vouchers to families in need. Christmas dinner is an important social occasion, but it is more expensive than the regular budget. Schools are closed over Christmas and that can put additional economic strain on families that are going through a rough patch. Consider donating to Hyvä Joulumieli to make sure every family can live through a careless Christmas this year.

We all have something to give and Christmas is there to remind us. This year was hard but it has also taught us how powerful we can be when we come together. Thank you for reading this post and for generously supporting your community!

Please help me spread the word on these Christmas volunteering opportunities by sharing this post on social media. Merry Christmas!

Featured Photo by Toni Cuenca on Unsplash.