‘Tis the season of giving: Here’s where you can donate, volunteer to spread the Christmas cheer

Buying gifts, setting up decorations, and planning reunions — Christmas festivities are definitely underway. Apart from all the merrymaking, though, you can also spend the holidays helping more people feel the love and joy of this season. 

Instead of splurging on a new gadget or organizing a lavish year-end party, why not allocate the budget to other meaningful causes? Get into the holiday spirit by lending a hand to your community – may it be through monetary and in-kind donations, participating in charitable activities, or purchasing local products. Remember: a little help always goes a long way! 

We’ve rounded up a list of organizations and centers that you can consider donating to and volunteering with:

iVolunteer Philippines

iVolunteer Philippines is a portal that collates volunteering opportunities around the country. It was created to “provide volunteers an easy way to find volunteering opportunities that match their skills, interest, and advocacy.”

On their website, volunteers can choose to make monetary and/or in-kind donations, or to participate in certain activities. 

Their donation programs include raising funds for medical equipment and supplies, school materials, sport equipment, educational materials, and hygiene kits. Meanwhile, those who’d like to participate in their activities can volunteer to distribute food to the homeless and assist in distributing gifts. 

For their annual Christmas fundraising campaign, iVolunteer partnered with 20 NGOs across the Philippines to grant their wishes. Each NGO has varying needs and wishlists so volunteers can decide which initiative they’d like to share their blessings with. 

Project PEARLS

Project PEARLS is a non-stock, non-profit, and non-partisan organization that aims to provide a better life to poor children and families by helping them with their education, nutrition, health care, and livelihood. 

They have an annual Adopt-a-Family project for the holidays where a monetary donation of at least P1,000 can give families a Noche Buena grocery pack. 

“In the communities we serve, these families have simple wishes – good health for their kids, quality time with their family, and a special Noche Buena or Christmas dinner for their kids,” Project PEARLS said about the initiative. 

Aside from the Adopt-a-Family project, they also have toy drive and book drive campaigns for the holiday season. Here are the toy drive gift guide and ideas from Project PEARLS: 

Meanwhile, their online book drive, in partnership with Adarna House, will have book gift sets distributed to Project PEARLS scholars. 

Kids for Kids

Kids for Kids is a non-profit organization run by the youth. 

For their holiday initiative, they’ve also set up a book and toy drive. Donations through these campaigns will be brought to their partner communities across the country, including schools, libraries, and daycares in Agusan Marsh, Baseco in Manila, Yangil in Zambales, and Halian Island. 

For our Farmers PH

For our Farmers PH is a non-profit organization that aims to help local farmers and fisherfolk. Since their launch in 2020, they’ve helped farmers and fisherfolk with crop subsidy and relief assistance and have also given scholarships to hundreds of students from several provinces in the country. 

For the holidays, they have their annual Project Feedback, wherein monetary donations equate to one Noche Buena package for one farmer and their family. All donors will also receive a special Christmas card where they’ll see a photo of the farmer/s that they’re sponsoring.

This year, they also launched another holiday initiative: Project Hiling. Through their Instagram stories, For our Farmers PH will be sharing wish lists of children from the agri-fishery sector, and donors can reply if they want to grant said wish lists. Donors have the option to directly purchase the gift and mail it to the learning center or opt for the organization to purchase the gift on their behalf. 

Habitat for Humanity Philippines

Habitat for Humanity Philippines is a non-profit organization that helps Filipino families in need of decent homes. 

Every year, they launch their Pasko sa Bahay ni Juan Christmas catalog during the holidays. 

Through this campaign, monetary donations will contribute to building a home, such as buying materials like plywood, cement, roofing sheets, and hollow blocks. They can also opt for the Pamaskong Handog package worth P2,5000 that contains dry food items and canned goods. 

Philippine Animal Welfare Society

Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and promotion of the humane treatment of all animals. 

All year round, they have several activities that volunteers can join, including Project C.A.L.M. (Comforting Animals through Literacy Movement) wherein volunteers read to shelter animals to help ease their anxiety. 

You can also choose to be a furparent by adopting a shelter cat or dog from PAWS or show love to more furry friends by donating monetary aid or in-kind (dog and cat treats, leashes, crates, etc.) The cats and dogs and shelters wish list can be found on their website. 

On top of that, they’ve also released a PAWS 2024 “Rescued” calendar that features 12 of their rescued dogs and pets. Profits from the calendars will be used as funds for the animals’ daily food and medical supplies.

Kythe Foundation

Kythe Foundation is a non-profit, non-stock organization that aims to improve the quality of life among hospitalized children with cancer and chronic illness. 

For the holidays, they launched several initiatives to make sure that these young patients will feel the cheer during this yuletide season. Donors can pledge to donate a gift from the children’s wish list or purchase personal activity kits. They can also buy merchandise such as postcards and shirts as earnings from these help sustain the foundation’s ongoing services. 

They also have a Noche Buena drive wherein donations of P1,999 will entitle one child confined in hospital to one Noche Buena basket. 

Negrense Volunteers for Change Foundation, Inc.

Negrense Volunteers for Change (NVC) Foundation, Inc. is a non-stock, non-profit organization that aims to help provide a better future for Filipinos. 

NVC has several projects including nutrition and programs for children and livelihood initiatives for families. One of their livelihood projects is the Artisans of Hope wherein artisans create handmade projects. 

For the Christmas season, the artisans have prepared several holiday-themed products and upcycled ornaments. Earnings from this initiative will help raise funds for the organization’s projects.

Meritxell Children’s World Foundation

Meritxell Children’s World Foundation is a non-profit organization that provides shelter and physiological support for children who were abandoned, neglected, abused, or orphaned. 

For the holidays, donors can opt to sponsor a child. For P500 a month, it will help feed, clothe, nurture, and care for the child until they find a permanent home. 

World Vision Philippines

World Vision Philippines is an organization that provides education and health needs, as well as disaster response, to children, ultimately to help them overcome poverty. 

They have an annual Noche Buena campaign, wherein a P1,000 donation will have two children receive gifts that they can share with their families. 

– Rappler.com