How to find volunteer work on Christmas Day

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Specializes in Cardiology, Research, Family Practice.

Our holiday plans have fallen apart, and my husband are spending Christmas by ourselves this year. We would like to do something charitable with our time, rather than sit at home just the two of us. Does anybody have any first hand experience with volunteering on holidays? I was thinking of maybe delivering meals perhaps, or hosting soldiers from one of the air force bases? I'm just looking for ideas that maybe I haven't thought of. (Working is not on the table.) Thanks in advance!

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My suggestion is to call up your local soup kitchen and find out how you would go about serving meals on Christmas day. Could you imagine how great that feels to help provide someone with a hot meal on such a meaningful holiday! :o

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

Contact your local church (or if you're not religious, contact any local church). I'm sure a lot have events going on that day that they would love assistance with; if they don't, they can point you in the direction of them.

Also check out your local homeless shelters, food bank and soup kitchens. Most are probably having a holiday dinner for the less fortunate and they could use volunteers.

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go to a local nursing home and provide cheer for the holidays!

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go to a local nursing home and provide cheer for the holidays!

I second that! That's a wonderful idea - the folks would be so appreciative. Can you imagine how lonely some of them are during the holidays?

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Specializes in PACU.

The Salvation Army usually needs lots of help.

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Specializes in Pediatric Pulmonology and Allergy.

Holidays are a great time for volunteering because that's when places are most likely to be short-handed.

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, Hospice.
go to a local nursing home and provide cheer for the holidays!

Great idea! Some of those folks don't have any family who will visit them.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

Some charitable organizations may not want to "bring in someone new off the streets" for just the holiday. Their "regulars" may be spread very thin and not have time to orient someone to the organzation's policies and procedures at the last minute. And yes, there often are orientatation requirements for volunteers and sometimes the need for criminal background checks, etc. to be done ahead of time. Organizations may not want to go to all that trouble for someone who is looking to volunteer for a brief time only.

If you have trouble finding a good fit for you ... maybe you could look at something less dramatic. Perhaps you could host a get together for single friends and coworkers who have no local family and can't travel to family because of work committments. Or maybe you could help provide a meal at your place of work for people who are working that shift, etc. Do you have a co-worker who could use some help with child-care for shifts that are hard to find child care for? etc. Those folks might not be homeless, but they might really appreciate what you could do to brighten their holiday and/or ease their burden.

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Above poster is correct, very hard to volunteer for Christmas Day. GL and Happy Holidays!

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When I was a kid, my mom and aunt always took me along when they delivered meals for Meals on Wheels on Christmas and Thanksgiving. I think it really brightens the day for the homebound seniors that you bring the meals to and spend a little time talking to. There really wasn't any training or anything, they just signed up and when we got there, they gave us 5 or so meals and a map w/ the addresses and off we went (at least that's how I remember it, so I apologize if I'm a little bit off or if their procedures have changed- this was like 20 yrs ago).

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Specializes in Psych.

Check with your local Jewish Community Center. They often organize a number of volunteer events on Christmas Day.

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