When December rolls around every year, we ring in the festivities with enormous Christmas trees in shopping malls and in cafes, and seasonal drinks are served. At every turn, there are sales inviting us to make a purchase in preparation for Christmas. Not to forget, some of us have a list of gifts we ought to buy because to us, Christmas is equated with gifts.
But the true gift is found in giving, not so much in receiving. And it’s not just about buying gifts, it’s about how we can use our gifts to serve others to spread Christmas cheer.
We hope to help you make Christmas more meaningful this year, and have put together a list of ways you can help others this Christmas :
#1: Dignity For Children Foundation’s Christmas Gift-A-Meal 2022
Dignity For Children empowers and aids underprivileged urban poor children, with Transformational Enterprises to develop their skills and character such as “eat X dignity”, “cut X dignity”, “sew X dignity”, “art X dignity” and “wellness X dignity”.
To bring joy to families living in poverty, Dignity has initiated a Christmas Gift-A-Meal 2022, where the public can donate to give 450 families a Christmas meal. Priced at RM 89.80 per family, the meal includes a whole roasted chicken and aromatic butter rice.
Aside from this, the organisation is currently selling baked goods and Christmas feast meals right up until January 2023! Click here to support them and be sure to enjoy their delicious bites!
#2: Yayasan Generasi Gemilang’s Super Sarapan
Launched in 2008, Yayasan Generasi Gemilang (GG) is a charity organisation helping vulnerable communities through education, providing basic needs and skills development.
In 2021, GG impacted 40,000 families by providing them access to free financial protection and helped 1,008 children and youth improve their access to education through basic needs: daily breakfast & data and devices for online learning.
One of the initiatives that have largely contributed towards this impact is their Super Sarapan program which has been running since 2014. Super Sarapan provides a meal for B40 students at their schools, addressing food insecurity and giving students hope to stay in school. In 2022, the program provided 130,711 meals to 1,296 students from 30 schools in East and West Malaysia.
To continue the program in 2023, GG is calling for people to #SpreadJoyWithGG by donating to the cause. With a donation of RM 80, you’d be providing a month’s worth of meals for a school-going child. Click here to give!
#3: My Forever Doggo’s Christmas Dog Food Drive
Our furry friends who spread joy all year round and ask for nothing in return need our support! You can give back to this adorable community through My Forever Doggo (MFD), an organisation helping dogs find loving forever home. They’ve even been called the Tinder for Doggos.
This year, MFD is giving back by feeding homeless dogs through three independent rescuers. They’re doing so by hosting a Christmas Dog Food drive, with the aim of raising a month’s worth of dog food.
To make this a success, they need your help. MFD is looking to raise RM14,168 to feed 200 adorable furry friends. To date, RM3,180 has been raised. Let’s chip in and keep their stomachs full this Christmas. This link directs you to the donation page.
#4: Christmas Food Distribution With Kechara Soup Kitchen Society
Kechara Soup Kitchen (KSK) has been operating since 2014, with a heart to serve marginalised communities which include the homeless, urban poor and Orang Asli populations.
To maximise their efforts, KSK runs a soup kitchen and a food bank as well as empowerment programmes such as baking and sewing.
For Christmas this year, KSK wants to give back to the homeless and has organised a Christmas Food Distribution set to take place from the 28th until the 31st of December. A donation of RM 20 goes toward a Festive Treat Set that includes rice with special vegetarian dishes, bananas, cookies, cream rolls, mineral water, and face masks. To help more people, KSK aims to raise RM 24, 260.
If you’d like to give, click this link. Let your giving be the reason behind a homeless person’s smile this Christmas.
#5: Basic Needs For Children At The Cerebral Palsy (Spastic) Children Association Of Penang
In 1962, The Cerebral Palsy (Spastic) Children Association Of Penang, a non-profit organisation was launched to provide academic, rehabilitation and vocational services for those with cerebral palsy.
The organisation currently has 113 students under its enrolment and is in need of support in different ways. Wiki Impact recently reached out to one of their staff, who shared that basic needs are what they require. Some of these needs are everyday uses including kitchen towels, soap, milk powder and more.
If you’d like to be a helping hand, do give them a call at 604 657 0160 or drop them an email at pgcerebral@gmail.com. You can also click here to make a direct cash donation.
#6: Cute Tee’s By Second Chance Animal Society
Second Chance Animal Society was founded in 2009 to care for stray and abandoned dogs. Their goal is to give strays a purpose by rehoming them and the organisation abides by a strict no-kill policy.
As advocates of animal welfare, the organisation stands for neutering dogs to avoid population, which often snowballs into a bigger issue – abandoned dogs. In an effort to get the message out, Second Chance is now selling t-shirts with adorable prints.
For RM 35, you’d get a t-shirt with the prints “Neuter, don’t multiply” and “Adopt, save a life”. Additionally, you’d be supporting the dogs under the organisation’s care. Check out their site to support the cause! You can also support the animals by sponsoring their food and medical bills, with a minimum donation of RM 30 and above. Visit this link to find out more.
#7: Christmas Kettling With The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is an international movement and has made its way to Malaysia since 1938 to serve underprivileged communities in several ways. They comprise residential care homes for children, youth and the aged. They have also developed other services such as daycare centres, a special education learning centre, kindergartens, emergency relief and community service centres.
For decades, the Army has had a tradition of annual kettling in different parts of the world. This year, the tradition has made a comeback, giving donors a chance to give in person by setting up their bell ringers and the red kettle pots at prominent shopping malls in Petaling Jaya, Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Melaka, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu.
They’ve also set up an online donation site, with an aim to raise RM150,000. The funds raised would cover several initiatives such as :
- 10 community service centres across Malaysia to assist the migrant and B40 communities with food parcels and also during emergency relief (flood, fire, etc)
- 5 residential homes for children (1 in Penang, 2 in Ipoh and 2 in Kuching – 300 children)
- 1 residential home for the aged (Ipoh – 65 senior citizens)
- 1 special education centre (Melaka – 40 students)
Be sure to visit their red kettle pots and drop your spare change in!
