By Isabella Jaramillo
It feels like yesterday when we were all preparing for a Christmas locked in our homes. It’s been a whole year since then and I really can’t help but ask myself, where has the time gone? It was a Christmas like never before - not being able to travel back home, not being able to spend it with those you love. And just when we thought things were going back to normal the uncertainty kicked in again, all thanks to a little thing called Omicron. Trying not to test positive these holidays is like an extreme sport, and for most of us it really feels like we’re failing. During these times I reflect on just how lucky most of the MSM community and myself are. So, this Christmas here are eight charities you could donate to. Make this Christmas special for everyone!
Violence against women and girls has been on the agenda for Refuge like never before this year and the demand for their services is greater than ever. In 2020-21, Refuge supported 25,433 women and children across their services. Visits to their website increased seven-fold and calls went up by 64%. Yes, official lockdown is over, but Christmas is still a very difficult time for women and children who are victims of domestic abuse.
Here are some ways you could help out Refuge this Christmas: firstly, you could buy a Christmas parcel for a woman or child escaping domestic abuse. You could also donate a present for a woman or child escaping domestic abuse. Or you can just donate directly.
CRISIS
This December marks the 50th year that homelessness charity Crisis has provided shelter, food and support to people without a home over Christmas. Although half a century has passed, homelessness remains a grave public health issue in the UK, with Crisis and its volunteers still needed over the festive season.
This Christmas, thousands of volunteers across the UK will be providing warmth and comfort to people with no home, as well as the support they need to end their homelessness for good. What Crisis are doing to tackle homelessness in the UK is beyond belief: each person who would be rough sleeping during the holidays will be provided with a warm bed in a room of their own, three meals a day, health support and advice with housing and employment.
You can support crisis this Christmas by donating £29.06 to provide people experiencing homelessness with a life-changing gift of a place to stay, food, friendship, care and advice.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on the nation’s mental health, and older
people have been hit hardest, often finding the restrictions and lockdowns increasingly isolating. A new survey shows that nearly a million older people don’t have anyone to celebrate the festive period with this year.
Age UK has launched its Make Christmas a Little Brighter campaign to raise awareness of the need for its services and the issues so many are facing. Funds raised will also help to support Age UK’s Advice Line, which is open 365 days a year including Christmas Day, and Age UK’s wonderful subsidiary charity The Silver Line Helpline, which is open 24 hours a day for a friendly chat for anybody who needs it. To donate please visit: www.ageuk.org.uk/brighterchristmas
With Christmas having arrived, call your grandparents, check on your elderly neighbours and donate to Age UK to help the elderly across the country.
Over 200,000 more children fell below the poverty line during the pandemic, and teachers supported by the UK read reports that illiteracy is now the second biggest child concern after food poverty. The next 12 months are vital in tackling the literacy inequality that has been amplified by Covid-19.
This Christmas you could change a child’s story by donating a gift or by donating £10. Those £10 could provide a child living in poverty with three books, which may possibly be their only gift this Christmas.
With this Christmas set to look a little different from last year, the majority of us will be fortunate enough to spend it with those we love. However, this will not be the case for many young homeless people. So, this year you could give a life-changing gift to those who need it most.
The past two years have been incredibly turbulent, to say the least. These vulnerable young adults deserve a Christmas like most of us will have. Through Centrepoint, the UK’s leading charity for the young and homeless, you could buy a simple gift to help keep them safe, well and inspired this Christmas. You could donate gifts from £10 - £144 - rest assured any donation small or large will make every bit of difference.
QUEER BLACK CHRISTMAS
Queer Black Christmas acts as a space of respite, where black LGBTQ+ young people can rediscover the joy of Christmas, surrounded by a community and a chosen family. This will be Tanya Compas’ third year running QBC.
“I created Queer Black Christmas back in 2019 when I was faced with spending my first Christmas estranged from my family. It was a really difficult period and as a youth worker who works with Black LGBTQ+ youth, I knew there were a lot of other young people who were faced with the idea of spending Christmas alone or within homophobic/transphobic households. So, I put my youth worker hat on and created Queer Black Christmas.”
For the past few weeks, QBC had been working with a big surprise funder and their team to plan the most magical Queer Black Christmas for black LGBTQ+ youth. To make sure this year is just as magical for the Black LGBTQ+ youth please donate via their original fundraiser on Gofundme.
Hope for the Young is a community of mentors, staff, young people and volunteers who are passionate about welcoming young refugees to the UK and ensuring they are given every opportunity they need to settle into their communities, access education and reach their full potential.
“We aim to remove the obstacles to young refugees and asylum-seekers' education and well-being through mentoring, advocacy, and financial support.”
The Felix Project is London's largest food redistribution charity. 1.5 million adults in London struggle to afford to eat every day and 400,000 children are at risk of missing the next meal. The Felix Project rescues good food that cannot be sold and delivers it directly to charities and schools serving people in need. This is high-quality and nutritious, including a high proportion of fresh fruit and vegetables, baked goods, salads, meat, and fish.
“This holiday season, our biggest yet. The Felix Project aims to rescue 700 tonnes of surplus food. This food is cooked in our kitchen to prepare nutritious ready-meals or served up by our 900 charity and school partners in the city, helping feed Londoners in real need – including families, the elderly, the homeless, refugees and more.”
Help feed those in need by donating to The Felix Project
Illustrations: Eva Hunt