During this sensitive time of hardships and disconnection, now more than ever is it important to hold our dear ones closer. Furthermore, the spirit of joy and giving is upon us all. It is truly the season of helping those who are having a much harder time in life. Since volunteering might still pose a risk, however, donating would be the best help you could give. After all, not everyone may have the privilege of knowing about Santa Clause, but everyone will know kindness. So if you have extra in your Brittany Corporation luxury homes, we encourage you to share your blessings with those in need. But don’t worry because it is easy to do so with all the awareness being spread by NGOs and similar organizations. In fact, there are a lot of charities to donate to all year round.
There are endless ways to help those in need even online | Photo by Keren Levand on Unsplash
U! Happy Events is a good place to start. Founded in 2006, what started as a small group of volunteers making positive change in the marginalized children sector, is now also a platform for individuals and organizations to help in more ways than one. You may volunteer to be a kuya or ate for the children during charity events, create an event (e.g., Christmas party for children), teach a valuable skill or share your talent with the children during workshops, or simply donate monetary support or goods. From the variety of charities to donate to through U! Happy Events, their mission is to promote a culture of volunteering and giving by connecting partners to marginalized children through creative and meaningful activities. As of today, they have 102 active partner beneficiaries, 101 partner company sponsors, 77 core team members, 15,500 volunteer involvement, and have reached 10,100 children.
PREDA (People’s Recovery, Empowerment Development Assistance) Foundation is a Philippine human rights social development organization working for 40 years through fair trade practices to help the poorest and most vulnerable people in society and overcome injustice and poverty. Its mission is to initiate social transformation through the 12 projects of PREDA. Each of them has its own separate budget, bank account, and bookkeeping for transparency and verifiable accountability. Therefore, if you are looking for charities to donate to, here are five that target the youth:
PREDA social workers rescue children from sexually abusive situations at home, in the streets, or at brothels. This project provides residential homes for rescued girls, complete with a therapeutic recovery program with emotional expression therapy and family therapy counseling. Here, girls are taught to regain a sense of confidence, dignity, self-love, and education required to earn a living with decency and no harm.
There are children who need and deserve your help so that they can reach their full potential | Photo by Stijn Kleerebezem on Unsplash
PREDA provides legal assistance in prosecuting abusers, and helps defend innocent children accused of crimes.
This PREDA project targets children and minors in conflict with the law. The team visits jails all over Central Luzon to work on the cases of children so that they can be rescued from the harsh conditions of their environments. One major campaign is to help children prove to the court that they are minors so that they can be sent to residential centers where they can still grow into law-abiding citizens. They are taught with therapeutic activities such as art classes, non-formal education, skills training, organic farming, counseling, and values formation in a non-detention, open “Home for Boys”. Clients remain by free choice, with 74% retention rate.
This PREDA team visits provinces to provide workshops and seminars to public school students, teachers, community leaders, and church leaders. The main topic of the workshops is child abuse prevention.
This PREDA team lobbies human rights awareness to Barangay communities, especially on the Juvenile Justice bill, Cyber-law against child pornography, and legal and prison reform for child protection. They also train volunteers to be “Guardians ad Litem” (RA 7610) appointed by the court and be legal guardians of children in need of legal protection and help.
Angel House Orphanage is one of the charities to donate to because they solely rely on sponsors to care for children. Currently, their major sponsor is Moms against Poverty, a US-based NGO that supports a variety of charities in different developing countries. The Angel House Orphanage Foundation opened in June 2010 and is fully registered, licensed and accredited by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Therefore you can encourage your friends and partners from other parts of the world to donate to this legitimate charity. Apart from housing and educating vulnerable children who have been abandoned, abused, orphaned, or neglected. Located in Davao Oriental, it stands as a safe haven for armed war-torn communities.
Tahanan Sta. Luisa is a crisis intervention center for girls who have been subjects of exploitation and abuse in Manila. The girls are referred to the center by Childhope Asia Philippines, city and municipal social welfare and development units, hospitals, police, other NGOs, and volunteer advocates. Then, the girls are offered education, therapy, and skills training for girls to learn to fully recover and become independent women. Sometimes, Tahanan Sta. Luisa also helps girls reunite with their families if they are good influences to the children, and empower them to seek a dignified life. At the center, girls are provided with food, clothes, and parental love and care by volunteer parent figures. For girls who are experiencing behavioral problems or traumatic responses, the center has partner mental health institutions to provide psychiatric care for those in need. The true purpose of Tahanan Sta. Luisita is, as its name implies, to be a home for girls who did not feel a sense of home or family in their backgrounds.
Aside from the positive impact on the lives of beneficiaries, charity work has some positive effects on the helper as well.
There is a never-ending demand for volunteers, and there is a never-ending supply of hope for the children. | Photo by Julia M Cameron from Pexels
People who help gain a more profound sense of self because of the difference that they make with their help. Remember that every help counts and it goes a long way. The child that you help today may be able to help someone else in the future too because of the help he or she has felt from you.
One great thing about volunteering is that you do not help alone. You will make new connections and leaders to look up to or find friends with. You will be part of a community of generous and selfless people, which may not always be easy to find. You will also be part of the community that you are helping, receiving appreciation from the children. And if you become a full-time volunteer, the children will come to know you as part of their lives.
Gain Positive New Experiences
Going out of your comfort zone to help others boosts confidence and self-esteem. You also get to learn new skills related to community services such as communication, empathy, critical decision-making, and caregiving. In terms of career, it helps to include your charity work in job interviews as well.
You can donate anything you have in excess, such as clothes that no longer fit you or serve a purpose | Photo by Sarah Brown on Unsplash
Brittany Corporation encourages volunteerism and charity. If you would like to donate in-kind, make sure to sweep your entire house and lot of any items that you no longer need. A good trick is giving yourself a time frame, such as choosing to dispose of items that you have not used in the past six months. Not only do you provide for others without spending a cent, but you also declutter your luxury homes. After all, minimalism is the new trend right now. After collecting items that you would like to donate, search or contact NGOs to figure out where you can deliver or drop off said items. This way, it is mostly contactless and safe for everybody.
Aside from your things, you can also donate in cash easily to the NGOs, but make sure that you know where your money is going. You can even ask their contact person if you could choose where to allot the money, whether it be food, clothing, or improvement of facilities. Other than that, you can also sponsor a child or a whole organization. Providing constant support will surely be of best help to your chosen charity to donate to. Lastly, spread awareness on the problems that you want to address in society and share with your community the many ways to help this holiday season of giving.
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