10 meaningful ways to give this Christmas

Peck Sim // December 11, 2023, 2:45 pm

Your donation can help you partner with St Andrew's Autism Centre to enable people with moderate-to-severe autism lead dignified and meaningful lives. Photo from the SAAC website.

Love gives.

More than 2,000 years ago, God gave up the lofty heights of His heavenly home and the majesty of His power to take on the most helpless form of humanity on earth – a baby born in a manger. For love, He would eventually give His life to exchange the ashes of our brokenness for the beauty of His perfect peace.

This Christmas, as we ponder the gift that cost God Himself, what better way to love than to give as He did?

Here are 10 ways to share the love this Christmas – to the elderly and children; to vulnerable women and men breaking free from addictions; to those with special needs and the terminally ill.

1. Chope a Seat at St Luke’s ElderCare

Treat an elderly person at St Luke’s ElderCare to one of three special programmes developed to boost their mental well-being and improve their cognitive, motor and social skills.

Treat the elderly to a seat at one of the three special programmes developed to boost mental well-being of the elders and improve their cognitive, motor and social skill: Dining Culture, focussed on food intake and nutrition focused activity; Artfully Living, an arts activity encouraging motor skills and remembrance; Melo-D, a music activity promoting social interaction.

When elders are asked: “Ah Gong and Ah Ma, what do you miss the most?”, they often reminisce treasured moments of the past. St Luke’s ElderCare aims to create new moments and new memories of joy for the elders.

You can Chope a Seat for the elderly at these programmes with your love gift here.

2. It Takes a Village: World Vision Singapore

Real change happens when people offer the kind of gifts that transform lives. Gift catalogue by World Vision

Children in a country not far from Singapore take classes in a bare structure under the sweltering heat of a hot tin roof or drenched in heavy rain. A basic concrete structure with four classrooms would cost an estimated $70,000, says Benjamin Tan, CEO of World Vision Singapore.

For every $3,000 raised for the project above, private donors have offered to do a dollar-for-dollar matching for the It Takes a Village gift catalogue developed by World Vision Singapore for this Christmas.

The amount of $350 buys a large water tank that serves conflicted-affected communities in Syria, $130 provides basic supplements for 50 malnourished refugee families in Bangladesh, and $70 pays for vaccinations and vitamins for toddlers in urban slums.

It takes a village to raise a child, and we are all of the same global village.

Browse the gifts on this catalogue.

3. Support single parents and abused girls: HCSA

Help build a community of love and support for abused teenage girls and single parents through HCSA’s Wall of Giving.

This year, at the annual Wall of Giving, HCSA Community Services wants to help rewrite, rebuild and restore the lives of vulnerable girls and women.

Funds raised at the Wall of Giving go towards uplifting and empowering the girls and women in two programmes: The Dayspring Residential Treatment Centre (DRTC) for teenage girls who have suffered the complex trauma of physical, sexual or emotional abuse and/or neglect, and HCSA Dayspring SPIN (Single Parents INformed, INvolved, Included serving single parents and lone caregivers who lack, or have limited emotional, physical or practical support.

Recovery from trauma is a long, tough process that requires collective support. Help build a community of love and support through your gift this Christmas.

Empower HCSA families here.

4. Celebrate a life: Ambulance Wish

Help grant a wish to the terminally ill and bring joy to their final days with Ambulance Wish Singapore.

Every wish fulfilled at Ambulance Wish Singapore (AWS) is a precious opportunity to celebrate the lives of the terminally ill and to craft memories that endure.

“Every Wish Celebrates A Life 2023” is an ongoing fundraising campaign that ends 31 December. Every dollar received in donations to “Every Wish Celebrates A Life 2023” will be matched by Tote Board and the Government. Donors also enjoy 250% tax deduction for qualifying donations.

The work of AWS is an extension of the provision of care for the dying that goes beyond the walls of hospitals and hospices to impact homes and hearts.

Help terminally ill patients to fulfil their most heartfelt wish, giving them one last hurrah.

Double the impact of your gift here.

5. The gift of home: Habitat for Humanity

Start your own fundraiser or gather a group of friends to help Habitat for Humanity bring housing relief to those facing housing insecurity.

This Christmas, give “The Gift of Home” with Habitat for Humanity to vulnerable individuals, children, and families in Singapore so they can celebrate in safe and decent homes. Through this campaign, you can give through donations by creating your own fundraiser or gathering a group of friends to join in a personalised craft workshop.

Your gift will provide immediate housing relief to those facing housing insecurity, creating long-term impact on their lives. Christmas can wait but the need for decent homes cannot.

Give a gift of home here.

6. Light up lives: Singapore Christian Home

Your gift can paint smiles on the faces of young persons with diverse and complicated medical care needs at Singapore Christian Home.

Nestled within the Singapore Christian Home is a unique haven – the only nursing home with a dedicated children’s and young persons’ ward in Singapore.

The Singapore Christian Home care team looks after a number of children and young adults with diverse and complicated medical care needs, besides 200 other elderly residents.

Young residents with complex backgrounds, burdened by multiple, often life-threatening medical conditions and the scars of neglect, are provided not just with medical care but also the chance to thrive.

Your gift of finances, time or stories can paint smiles on their faces and fill their remaining days with laughter and love.

Send your Christmas gift here.

7. Bring joy: Chen Su Lan Methodist Children’s Home

Share the warmth, love, and feeling of togetherness as Chen Su Lan Methodist Children’s Home nurtures every child and family to shine.

The portrayal of an idealised Christmas in the media, especially on social media, can be stressful for children from challenged or disadvantaged families.

As Christmas approaches, consider joining the Chen Su Lan Methodist Children’s Home (CSLMCH) to make a meaningful difference in the lives of these children.

CSLMCH provides temporary shelter, care and protection to boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 21 years old who come from needy families in Singapore. It is one of the biggest children’s homes in Singapore.

Your donation will go a long way in sharing the warmth, love and feeling of togetherness as CSLMCH nurtures every child and family to shine. It will also send a message of hope to the children.

You can help bring joy to the children by donating here.

8. God in Geylang: Geylang Ministry

Geylang Ministry will bring songs of joy and proclaim the good news to the red-light district this Christmas.

This Christmas Eve, songs of joy proclaiming the coming of the Saviour will fill the red-light district in Geylang. Volunteers at Geylang Ministry (GM) will continue its tradition of bringing love and hope door-to-door through Christmas carols in the lorongs of Geylang.

The day before, the volunteers will be handing out 800 gift packs with Christmas tracts to passersby at the Aljunied MRT station. The tracts will be in nine languages. The team will share the Gospel and offer prayers if asked.

“It is exciting to witness God’s miracles,” says Debbie Zhang, Founder of the House of Olive (HOL) which runs GM, an outreach to prostitutes and pimps in Geylang. “When we do our small part, He takes care of the big part.”

For enquiries or to offer support to Geylang Ministry, House of Olive Leaf Ltd (UEN no.: 201409778D), please write to [email protected]

9. A respite for caregivers: St Andrew’s Autism Centre

St. Andrew’s Autism Centre (SAAC) aims to improve the quality of life for people with autism and their families through education, training and care.

SAAC serves more than 450 persons with moderate-to-severe autism across the lifespan through a special education school, day activity centres (DACs) and a residential home. Its day activity centres (DACs) in Siglap and Sengkang offer programmes to help develop essential life skills and to support towards community engagement and meaningful employment.

“Many of our clients have been with the DAC for years and they will be here for the foreseeable future,” says Malkeith Singh, coordinating coach leader of the DAC. “Instead of waiting for milestones, every little improvement is a cause for celebration.”

SAAC serves more than 450 persons with moderate-to-severe autism through a school, day activity centres and a residential home.

That’s not all.

“The 6 hours clients spend at our DACs is also the only respite their caregivers receive,” Malkeith points out.

Here’s how your donations can help enable people with moderate-to-severe autism to lead dignified and meaningful lives, as well as provide precious respite to their families.

$150: Provides one art and dance therapy to help a client express himself/herself

$100: Provides one training session in social skills to help a client interact with others

Will you consider a gift this Christmas to them and to their families?

To donate, visit here. For other ways to contribute to SAAC, get in touch with us here.

10. Rebuild hope, transform lives: Halfway houses

Give the gift of second chances to addicts and ex-offenders to rebuild their lives. Photo from Breakthrough Missions.

The sting of despair and shame is all too familiar to drug addicts and ex-offenders. Without the power of God and a helping hand, many struggle with breaking free and rebuilding their lives. Halfway houses play a critical role in handholding addicts and ex-offenders and to lead them on a God-centred path to a new life. Here are some you may consider donating to this Christmas season:

Breakthrough Missions

The mission from God for Breakthrough Missions is to face and respond to the problems and needs of drug addicts in today’s society.

The drug rehabilitation program is Christ-centred and residents will undertake an 18-month basic life-building course to develop spiritual and work discipline and discipline in living. The aim is to achieve holistic recovery and growth. This is followed by another 18 months of further training and development.

To partner with Breakthrough Missions, donate here.

House of Anatole

House of Anatole (HOA) was founded in February 2022 by ex-offender turned pastor Ivan Lim to serve brothers in the bondage of addictions. It offers an 18-month residential rehabilitation programme which includes full-board. It is free to those who voluntarily check in. HOA has helped equip around 20 men since the start of its operations. Donate here or write to [email protected]

The Helping Hand

The Helping Hand collaborates with Singapore Prison Service to provides ex-offenders with the necessary support to facilitate their reintegration back to society.

It offers in-house rehabilitation programmes of 6-12 months, with a four-fold focus on spiritual life, empowerment for work, social life and physical well-being.

The halfway house has helped more than 2,400 ex-offenders since its establishment in 1987. To support the work, donate here.

The New Charis Mission

Beyond a halfway house for ex-drug addicts and ex-offenders, The New Charis Mission operates a Residential Rehabilitation Programme that helps residents move from past failures and destructive lives to develop a new mindset and value system.

The residents in turn become mentors running programmes in schools for at-risk students, counsellors to the inmates in prison and befrienders to the elderly.

Contribute to the ministry here.