Giving this Christmas Time
Family, giving and joy are all words that come to mind when we think of Christmas.
It’s a busy time of year filled with work Christmas parties, family events, lots of eating and lots of presents.
This makes Christmas such an important time to consider our consumer habits and how they impact on the world around us. The Christmas period presents a great opportunity to consider how our giving can make a difference to the lives of others.
We’ve made an ethical Christmas list to give you some ideas of how you can give ethically this holiday period in a way that aligns with your beliefs and values.
Make a donation to charity instead of buying a present
Consider donating to one of our charity partners. By donating money they will continue to work for change and create a positive difference in the lives of those around us. To personalise a donation you could consider which charity best suits their interests and values…
Here’s some information that could help you decide…
Homestead for Youth is an organisation committed to empowering young people at risk by providing residential services, mentoring, counselling, holistic and innovative therapies and psychology care in the homely setting of their Meelon farm, just north of Perth.
Give a gift of clean water this Christmas and join Water for Africa’s Christmas Appeal. Water for Africa is a team working to provide clean drinking water in Africa. They have already worked to impact over 2.2 million people by providing clean drinking water since they began. Through their website, you can make monthly or one-off donations.
Greenbatch is working towards building Western Australia’s first plastic recycling facility. They currently partner with schools allowing students to collect their old PET plastic bottles through recycling and repurposing it into 3D printer filament.
Classroom of Hope provides safe school environments and scholarships to thousands of children in south-east Asia, Indonesia and Rwanda. These programs include building new schools, building earthquake-resistant pop-up school and Women & Girl scholarships. They have already served 16571 students developed 56 schools. You can donate $40 through their website to educate a child.
Mercy Hands is the healthcare Program of Water for Africa. When clean water is given to remote communities health can now advance to bring healing and hope. Annually volunteer groups give their skills, time and heart to give medical assistance to those suffering in the remote villages. Partnering with local hospitals and private clinics is key to see long-lasting change and sustainability.
Buy ethical and Fairtrade presents
Always look into the brands you are buying from. Are their production lines transparent? Do they adequately support and pay the people who are making your presents? Try to look for a fair trade symbol when making purchases.
Buy presents locally
Support local business where you know your money will be going into the local community and supporting local families.
Gift an experience
This is a great opportunity to spend time with your loved ones. This could include things such as preparing a special picnic or taking them to see an outdoor movie.
Make something for your loved ones
Make some homemade chocolates, granola or cookies and use recycled jars or paper to wrap and decorate them.
Wrap sustainably
Use recycled paper or unused fabric. Think outside the box when wrapping gifts, try to use things you already have which minimise the need for single-use plastic. Decorate with flowers instead of ribbon.
Here are the links to donate to our charity partners:
https://www.homesteadforyouth.org/
https://waterforafrica.com.au/support-us/
https://www.greenbatch.com/donate-1
https://classroomofhope.org/why-education/
https://waterforafrica.com.au/support-us/?donation=HealthDonation
