Your random act of kindness could make all of the difference this Christmas. Image by Adobe Stock.
As Christmas rolls around for another year it is important to remember that the best gifts to be given can’t be wrapped. The true spirit of Christmas isn’t about what you can buy with money, but what you can give out of the kindness of your heart. We are all potentially guilty of thinking of nothing else but what presents to buy and who is bringing what pie to Christmas dinner – but for so many people Christmas is a really tough time to get through.
Loneliness, struggling to make ends meet and mental health issues plague many people over the holidays, but there are ways to make the festive period just a little bit better for those who are struggling. So, we have put together 20 kind gestures to help others this Christmas, because your random act of kindness could make all of the difference this year to that person who needs it the most.
1. Donate gifts, toiletries, makeup or clothes to your local Women’s Refuge.
2. Pop a gift under the Kmart Wishing Tree for a child in need.
3. Volunteer your time at the Auckland City Mission, their distribution centre or your local city mission to help make sure others in need get fed.
4. Visit a rest home and spend some time with some of the residents who may not get many visitors.
5. Check on your neighbours, especially the elderly – have a cup of tea and a chat.
6. Buy a coffee for the person standing behind you in the coffee line.
7. Leave $5 at your local dairy for someone who might be short of change.
8. Give a Safe Night to a woman in need for $20.
9. Put post-it notes with positive messages around in public.
10. Tape cash or a gift card to a random gas pump.
11. Pick up rubbish in your area or local park.
12. Give blood.
13. Deliver baked goods to your local fire, ambulance or police station.
14. Donate to Starship Children’s Hospital to help sick children be home for Christmas.
15. Invite a friend or someone you know who doesn’t have somewhere to be on Christmas day to spend Christmas with you.
16. Leave a Christmas card or a treat in your mailbox for the mail carrier.
17. Have an eco-friendly Christmas and choose second-hand gifts and recyclable materials for cards and wrapping paper.
18. Do a random act of kindness.
19. Be kind to shop assistants and front-line workers, it’s particularly stressful for them this time of year.
20. Be kind to yourself – look after your mental health.
Merry Christmas.