Christmas is the time of giving and sharing: it’s the most wonderful time of the year. However, there are always those presents under the tree from well-meaning relatives who never get it quite right – it just isn’t you and you know you won’t use it.
Here’s a handy list of causes you can donate your unwanted presents to, guilt-free:
Refuweegee
Refuweegee is a Glasgow-based charity that helps refugees from all around the world settle into the city. They take donations all year round, and held an event earlier this month dedicated to donating unwanted Christmas gifts, to be distributed amongst people and families that are new to Glasgow. Many of the refugees they work with are fleeing war-torn countries and arrive in Glasgow with nothing, so donating to Refuweegee ensures your gifts are going to those who truly need them.
Food Banks
If you’re anything like me, you probably have a pile of chocolate in a corner of your bedroom that you’re slowly making your way through and don’t see an end to any time soon. This, combined with leftover food from Christmas day makes a mountain that will probably be thrown out in a few months’ time. Why not cut out the middle man and donate it all to a food bank? While your unwanted choc may not seem like a necessary food item, everyone deserves a treat, and the long shelf-life of chocolate makes it the perfect item for donating.
Charity shops
This one goes without saying, but charity shops are always looking for donations, especially of brand new, unused items. Pick a cause you care about – animals, the elderly, homelessness, children, an illness – and drop of your Christmas gifts at the nearest shop. Cancer Research, British Heart Foundation, Barnardo’s, and Oxfam are only a few that can be found in Glasgow city centre. Shops are extremely grateful for donations and you know that donating your gifts here will raise money for a good cause.
It’s easy to feel guilty and ungrateful when you receive a present you don’t like or need, but donating to a cause that will benefit from it is a sure way to ensure it doesn’t go to waste. To someone else, your unwanted gift could be something they’ve always wanted!
By Saskia Harper
