The Christmas season is upon us – with streets decked out in glistening lights and beautiful ornaments, and shops playing Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas” wherever you go. Coupled with the relaxation of COVID-19 measures, we can now have our Christmas gatherings as we did before. As we enjoy gathering over festive feasts and exchanging gifts with loved ones, let us not forget that Christmas should also be about something more.

In this season of giving, here are some ways to give back and make your Christmas a meaningful one this year.

1. Treat Your Family & Friends

Sharing a meal or an experience is known to bring people closer together – that’s why we enjoy gatherings around the table during the Christmas season. While we each have our own Christmas traditions, we can make this Christmas more meaningful by not just stopping at drinking and feasting with one another, but to also take it a step further by treating our family and friends whenever we can. Treating your loved ones is a heartfelt way to show gratitude and appreciation for them, strengthening the relationships that are dear to us. Who are you treating this Christmas?

2. Volunteering

Volunteering with welfare organisations is an earnest way we can give back to society too. Be it on a regular or ad-hoc basis, there are numerous ways we can volunteer with welfare organisations such as Food from the Heart which supports households in need, and Muscular Dystrophy Association Singapore (MDAS) which empowers individuals with disabilities.

Have some time to spare in the mornings before your Christmas lunch appointments? Did you know that you can sign up as a volunteer to help with Food from the Heart’s Bread Run or Food Package Delivery, which only requires 45 minutes?

At Food from the Heart, aside from volunteering on the ground to sort food and deliver packages, you can also help out on the technical side through photography, design and administrative work as well. If you’re up for it, you and your loved ones can also spend the afternoon volunteering together at MDAS – perhaps your presence can be the gift for someone this Christmas!

3. Make A Donation

If time is a concern and volunteering is a stretch for you this season, donating to those in need is another way to give back! Be it donating blood, money, food or other living essentials, there are many avenues we can go about giving these much needed resources – what matters most is that we donate from the heart.
This festive season, happening now until 23rd December, Marina One is partnering with Food from the Heart to hold a food donation drive. All donations – both food and monetary – will go to Food from the Heart’s beneficiaries. To donate, simply check out their food items wish list to see what you can spare, and drop them off at our food donation box located at Marina One, City Room East. For monetary donations, you can visit here.

4. Shop & Dine For A Cause

Last but not least, when it comes to our Christmas shopping or when dining out, we can pick establishments and businesses that support social causes and give back to society. The best part? We can do this all year round!

Set up by Singapore Fashion Runway, Food For A Social Cause empowers differently-abled youths aspiring to pursue a career in the F&B industry. With training, these youths craft and cook meals for a wide range of cuisines, which everyone can enjoy at lunchtime.

Another such place is The Social Space – perfect for a cosy catch-up or picking out a last-minute gift, the establishment is a multi-concept space championing sustainability, inclusivity and accessible conscious living. Its store consists of a café, nail salon and even boasts a retail section that carries ethically-made, fair-trade products.

Food For A Social Cause, #B2-04

Mon-Fri & Sun, 12pm-5pm

The Social Space, #01-03

Mon-Sun, 9am-5pm

Giving back to the people we love and the communities we care about is a great way to end 2022 and start 2023 on a kinder note. While we all have different capacities to give, a little love and kindness can go a long way. When we give willingly and with whatever means we can, every contribution and effort becomes a gift – a gift that puts a smile on someone else’s face, near or far this Christmas.