Celebrate the gift of giving with these wonderful charities and initiatives that aim to put a smile on the faces of those in need this Christmas season.
As many Filipinos know, Christmas is a season that transcends its fare of fun parties and glittering decorations. The holiday season has always been one that celebrates love and connection, especially through the gift of giving. Nothing can quite capture the feeling of making someone smile during the festivities. A number of charities and foundations in the Philippines have set up meaningful initiatives that foster this spirit of generosity by improving the lives of those in need.
If you’re looking to spread the holiday cheer this year, here are five organizations you can donate to in order to make someone’s Christmas extra special:
READ ALSO: A Better Tomorrow: Four Charities That Support Underserved Children
Save the Children Philippines
Ever since its establishment in the country, Save the Children Philippines has envisioned a future where every child has access to the quality of life and protection they deserve. The organization has done this through a variety of campaigns that provided educational opportunities, vital resources, disaster aid, and child protection services to the country’s youth.
Members of the public can make a positive impact in the lives of Filipino children by making donations that would help the organization continue its purposeful work. It doesn’t take much to make every day feel like Christmas for these children, as one can send money on a monthly basis or through a one-time payment. Each donation provides a family of 5 with nutritious meal ingredients, and also contributes to the organization’s efforts of giving a clean water supply to local communities.
Kythe Foundation
The Kythe Foundation has been providing psycho-social support to more than 18,000 children grappling with illnesses like cancer, blood disorders, kidney diseases, and cardiovascular conditions since 1992. The non-profit organization and its team of trained professionals have partnered with a variety of hospitals and donors in order to continue this uplifting mission.
As part of the support they provide to children with serious illnesses, the foundation has set up a special Noche Buena donation drive for the holiday season. The initiative offers Noche Buena baskets filled with food and grocery items to children with cancer who are confined in hospitals. This way, the young patients can still celebrate a merry Christmas with their families despite their condition—something particularly meaningful, as many parents struggle to make ends meet due to medical expenses. Every sponsorship of Php 1,999 will provide a basket to one child and ensure their holidays are still bright.
Project Pearls
Project Pearls is an organization based in the U.S. and Philippines that establishes programs to support the education, skills development, nutrition, and overall health of underprivileged Filipino youth. Every year, the organization sets initiatives that bring holiday cheer to its beneficiaries, and this year is no different.
Their “Adopt a Pearls Family” initiative allows members of the public to “adopt” a family by making a donation of Php 1000 (around $20). This provides their chosen family with a grocery pack filled with wholesome food, and its children also get to receive fun toys for Christmas. It’s a significant program, as many families dealing with extreme poverty tend to eat reheated garbage scraps or pag-pag; a sad reality that Project Pearls wants to put an end to.
The organization also has a Christmas Toy Drive to bring more smiles to the faces of their youth. Volunteers can sign up for the drive through an online form, then choose to donate toys for newborns, toddlers, young children, pre-teens, and teenagers.
Negrense Volunteers for Change (NVC)
Negrense Volunteers for Change (NVC) is a non-profit organization based in Bacolod City. Since 2010, it’s been working tirelessly to put up projects that combat hunger and poverty through nutritional programs for children and livelihood initiatives for their parents.
As of November 2023, it has provided nutritious meals to 54,803 children, given educational assistance to 10,904 children, and granted homes to 480 families. It has also provided livelihood resources to 11,362 skilled workers and 5,022 fisherfolk.
The public can help NVC continue the good work by donating to its innovative projects. This includes enrolling children in its Mingo Meals Nutritional Program, which provides the youth with a nutritious complimentary meal that NVC formulates themselves. One can also donate to their Project Joseph livelihood program, which offers tools for welding, carpentry, baking, and sewing to skilled Filipinos so they can make a more stable income.
The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)
The spirit of giving doesn’t just extend to our fellow Filipino people, but also to the country’s shelter animals. For the animal lovers out there, a donation to the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) may be the perfect way to spread love this holiday season. Every year, stray cats and dogs are in need of good homes, food, and medical care to live the happy lives they deserve. PAWS has been working to ensure they’re given just that, and you can certainly help too.
Besides adopting a lovely pet from the shelter and volunteering, members of the public can also donate money and supplies to help maintain the foundation’s operations. PAWS welcomes supporting members for Php 300 a month, as well as one-time donations made through bank transfer. Alternatively, one can choose to donate in kind by providing their furry friends with food, crates, toys, pee pads, leashes and harnesses, and vitamins, among other crucial supplies.
Banner photo by Mel Poole via Unsplash.
