Changing the World Around You: Charity and Kind Deeds During the Holiday Season

Volunteering activities, donations, and even simple attention to those around you become particularly important as the holidays approach. We've gathered specific ideas on how to make kindness a part of your holiday spirit.

Why the Holiday Season Is the Perfect Time for Kind Deeds

The holiday season is traditionally seen as both a personal and communal milestone. It's a time for reflection and new resolutions, including how we can support others.

• Reflection and year-end wrap-up.December is a time when many feel a need to close out the year by wrapping up loose ends and doing something useful. The desire to end the year on a high note is a natural part of our internal rhythm.
• Increased interest in charity.This period sees a heightened focus on collective and personal charitable initiatives. December is filled with charity events worldwide — from international ones like Giving Tuesday to local efforts supporting the elderly, children, and families in need.
• Heightened contrast of the season.The holidays amplify contrasts: for some, it's festive dinners, gifts, and family, but for others, it may be loneliness or lack of basic support. This makes any gesture of aid especially relevant.

Activity from charitable organizations. In December, charities and social initiatives summarize their achievements, update budgets, and launch fundraising and reporting campaigns. This provides an entry point for those wanting to get involved, either in a one-off or systematic way.

Who Should Engage in Charity and Why

Participating in charitable initiatives can be a conscious choice for companies, interest-based communities, and individuals. Each participant has different motivations and practical benefits from these actions.

Different Formats of Assistance and What Sets Them Apart

Charity can take many forms — from one-time donations to regular involvement with foundations or providing everyday assistance. Below are four main formats differing in terms of involvement and required resources.

1. One-Time Assistance

This is the easiest and most accessible way to contribute. It suits those who want to participate situationally without long-term commitments or who cannot help regularly.

Examples:

• Donate any amount to a reputable charity.
• Buy groceries, medicine, or essentials and deliver them to a collection point.
• Join a one-time event, like collecting warm clothes for those in need.
• Create a gift set for a lonely senior and deliver it through a social service.

Key Features:

• Doesn't require long-term commitment or a lot of time.
• Can be done at your convenience.
• A great option for a first-time experience.

2. Volunteer Support

This type emphasizes time and personal involvement over money. It includes both physical help and remote volunteering.

Examples:

• Sorting and packaging gifts or humanitarian aid.
• Helping with logistics or delivery.
• Participating in holiday events for organizations' beneficiaries as entertainers or organizers.
• Online volunteering: helping with letters, translations, website tech support, visual materials, social media engagement.

Key Features:

• Requires more time and planning.
• Usually involves working as part of a team with a coordinator.
• Provides a sense of personal involvement and achievement.
• Perfect for students — try out skills in a practical context.

3. Regular Support

Best for those ready to help systematically and over the long term. This can be financial involvement or consistent volunteering.

Examples:

• Monthly donations to a fund via autopay or subscription.
• Mentoring a specific person, such as through pen pals or as a helper for an elder.
• Scheduled volunteering — help at a foundation weekly or monthly.
• Participation in long-term projects like mentorship or educational programs.

Key Features:

• Creates a stable support system for an organization or initiative.
• Can be integrated into one's life — set up regular transfers or choose a consistent day to help.
• Offers a deeper understanding of processes and outcomes.

4. Everyday Acts of Kindness

Not all good deeds require participation in organized charities. Sometimes the simplest assistance is what happens in everyday life.

Examples:

• Helping an elderly neighbor with groceries or bill payments.
• Leaving a gift or thank you note for a courier, cleaner, or postal worker.
• Passing on unused items or dishware to those in need instead of discarding them.

Key Features:

• Doesn't require registration, budget, or coordination.
• Simple actions with noticeable impact.
• Can be done regularly or spontaneously.

Things to Consider When Participating in Charity

Before joining a charitable initiative, it's important to consider a few practical aspects.

Verify Where and Whom You're Helping

Before sending money or goods, ensure the initiative is legitimate and operates transparently. If in doubt, choose a large, long-established project with a clear reputation.

Reliable funds and projects:

• Publish reports,
• Provide credentials,
• Openly discuss their activities and beneficiaries.

If you're unsure where to begin, you can use the following sources:

• Websites of major funds and charitable platforms,
• Municipal and city initiatives,
• Local social media groups (including neighborhood chats),
• Media reviews or specialized resources.

Start Small

Overestimating your ability is a common cause of burnout. It's better to begin with one action than to try to tackle everything at once. If participating brings satisfaction and resources, you can gradually expand the format.

Consider Logistics and Timelines

During the holiday season, social projects often have strict deadlines, like collections due by December 25th. Check in advance:

• Where the collection point is located,
• What's specifically needed,
• The condition items are accepted in.

Choose a Format That Suits You

It's important to pick a format that fits your schedule, resources, and level of involvement. The best aid is given without self-sacrifice.

7 Ideas to Make the World a Better Place During the Holidays

Here are practical and achievable ideas for kind acts you can implement right before the holidays. They vary in involvement level, but each offers a way to make the world a little bit better.

1. Participate in a Charitable Collection

Many organizations and initiatives host seasonal drives in December — whether it’s food, clothing, or gift collections. You can choose one and help by donating money or specific items from their list, which usually includes non-perishable food, hygiene products, winter clothing, and school supplies.

How to do it:

• Find a local project in your city.
• Check the list of needed items.
• Gather and deliver them by the specified deadline.

2. Host a Special Format Secret Santa

In the classic Secret Santa, participants give each other small gifts without knowing in advance who their gift will come from. This format can easily be expanded to include an element of giving back.

Examples:

• Choose gifts with a social component: eco-friendly products, handmade items, charity certificates.
• Instead of a gift, make a donation in the recipient's name and present a card with a story of who benefited.
• Include a card in the gift encouraging “paying it forward.”

How to do it:

• Host a Secret Santa at home, work, in class, or among friends.
• Create a setup with budget limits, set a date for exchange, and optionally add a condition like “include an element that can benefit others too.”

A simple way to organize this is by using the MySanta platform, which helps facilitate anonymous gift exchanges and manage the entire game from start to finish. It's suited for both private gatherings and corporate celebrations.

How it works:

• One participant sets up the game, specifies a gift limit, and invites others via email, QR-code, or link.
• Participants complete wishlists — indicating what they'd like to receive and what to avoid, with optional tips.
• The organizer can set exceptions. For example, so that Bob doesn't gift to Alice.
• The system randomly matches Santa-receiver pairs.
• On the exchange day, participants can gather in person or via Zoom to share their experiences.
• MySanta supports unlimited participants, offers convenient wishlists, and integrates with major shopping platforms.

Try Hosting a Secret Santa

Play at work or home, with family and friends. It works for in-person gatherings or virtual exchanges for distant loved ones.

Try it Out

3. Support a Lonely Elderly Person

Social services and charities often have lists of seniors living alone. During the holidays, you can send them a warm letter, a small package, or simply a greeting card.

How to do it:

• Find a project working with seniors (e.g., Senior Connections, The Good Box, etc.).
• Confirm the format: letter, card, package.
• Send before the end of December.

4. Help a Courier, Seller, or Postman

The workload for those involved in customer service can be particularly heavy in December. Small gestures of appreciation during routine days are also acts of kindness.

How to do it:

• Prepare a small gift: chocolates, a drink, a card.
• Hand it over personally or leave it with a note of thanks.
• Include a generous tip.

5. Donate Items in Good Condition

Winter clothing, shoes, kitchenware, and household items can be passed on to help centers instead of being stored unused.

How to do it:

• Conduct a home audit.
• Divide into items suitable for donation and those to discard.
• Find a collection point in your area and confirm what's accepted.

6. Join a One-Time Volunteer Event

Many initiatives seek volunteers in December for gift packaging, parcel sorting, and deliveries.

How to do it:

• Find active projects (via social media, community groups, charities).
• Sign up for a convenient shift.
• Help out once or stick around if the format suits you.

7. Set Up Recurring Donations

Even a small amount given regularly helps charities operate steadily. This is especially crucial in January-February when donation flow drops significantly.

How to do it:

• Choose a trusted fund.
• Set up a monthly autopay for a comfortable amount.
• If you wish, subscribe to reports to track how your help is used.

Conclusion

Charity isn't just about large sums or grand projects. It's about specific actions that almost anyone can undertake: one-time or regularly, in person or online, with family or anonymously.

The holiday season is a convenient moment to try out this type of involvement: select items, join an initiative, donate a small sum, or simply help someone nearby. The main thing is to choose what's feasible for you and understand why you're doing it.

Even a small action can be part of someone's support — and that's enough to make it meaningful.