#ShareLove this holiday season, one good deed at a time

MANILA, Philippines – Nobody wants to be a scrooge around the holidays. There are many charitable activities around this time of year to help the less fortunate and those in need.

Rappler’s #ShareLove campaign aims to get people involved in these events so you too can spread the love.

Joining the #ShareLove campaign are organizations  that have set up innovative ways for people to lend a hand. Most efforts in the campaign involve giving children the Christmas they deserve.H ere’s a list:

1. “Ugma damlag” is Cebuano for future. Project Damlag aims to help create a better future for children and help parents send their children to the Napalico Elementary School. It is inviting sponsors to donate P500 to cover expenses for school obligations and school supplies of students from pre-school to grade 6.
2. Project Pearls aims to spread joy among children living in extreme poverty. It is asking for toy donations, to be dropped off at select Total gas stations. It is even willing to bring toy collection boxes to schools and offices that want to partner with them. Project Pearls also has a ninong/ninang sponsorship program where for $20 (P1,000), you can pay for the Christmas dinner  of a family of 8 and give gifts for the children in the family.
3. Childhope Philippines aims to bring the merry back in the Christmas of a street child by urging people to spend time, sing Christmas Carols, and give any help to the street children it looks after. This includes giving them access to learning, counseling, health education, sports and recreation so they can pursue their dreams and goals in life.
4. If you want to become an “elf” and volunteer to pledge 4 balls (basketball, volleyball, or football) worth P200 each to the Youth Sports Advocacy, join IVolunteer’s Operation Christmas Elf. It aims to support the YSA’s 150 young athletes’ passion for sports by giving them new sports balls as gifts so they can continue playing sports even after their one- to two-month program at YSA.
5. You can take part in the Philippine Toy Library’s bid to make “a dent against the poverty of play, one toy library at a time,” by helping raise P50,000 needed for each toy library. It is selling P500-tickets for an upcoming big fundraiser, the block screening of Star Wars: Rogue One at SM Megamall Cinema 7 on December 17, 4 PM.

There are many good deeds you can do this Christmas but you can start by considering getting involved in these organizations. It’s not yet too late to be part of one. Check out the #ShareLove campaign on X for more details! – With a report from Ushlyia Nichole Medina/ Rappler.com