Table of Contents
Giving: ways you can give to Zetetick without spending any money
December is traditionally a time for giving.
#giveback #volunteer #socialmedia #fundraising
“I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach.” ― A Christmas Carol
Pre-Christian giving meant gifts were exchanged around winter solstice to bring good luck for the coming year. In the Christmas story giving began with the Three Kings giving Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. While many people believe that Christmas has become too commercialised, it is an important time of year for charities.
Those less fortunate
Christmas is a time when most of us spend quality time with extended family and friends in pleasant, warm homes, eating lots of nice food. Although 2020 will be quite different because of the restrictions around Covid-19, most of us will still be comfortable and content over the holidays. Perhaps because of that it is also a time when we tend to think more about those less fortunate than ourselves. Zetetick Housing’s tenants are mainly people with disabilities, learning difficulties and autism, and people in these groups are more likely to feel isolated and lonely, more likely to experience poverty, and more likely to have difficulty finding work. These issues feel worse over Christmas, and now with the disproportionate affects of the pandemic on people with disabilities these problems have been exacerbated.
The joy of giving
Research shows that the act of giving also benefits the giver.
One of the findings is that giving in various forms reinforces a sense of belonging and inclusion, and makes us feel part of our local communities as well as the wider world. Giving can also reduce stress and make you more active.
In short, giving makes us feel happy.
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/campaigns/mental-health-awareness-week/kindness-matters-guide
Giving can cost nothing
There are ways of giving that don’t cost anything.
Volunteering
The work that volunteers do for charities is invaluable. At Zetetick Housing we are lucky to have some wonderful and dedicated volunteers who do a fantastic job, but we are always looking for more people who can help us out. Even if you only have a small amount of spare time you could really help make a difference.
At the moment we are looking for volunteer gardeners and volunteer social media workers.
We need gardeners to get their hands dirty and help with planning and planting as well as with regular garden maintenance, and social media workers with great communication skills to help us connect with people and increase engagement. We welcome creative input from all our volunteers, and in return you will get experience working for a successful housing charity. The charioty Zetetick Housing will also do everything we can to support you in the role and make it an interesting and valuable experience, where you will learn some new skills.
Giving by following, liking and sharing
Social media and platforms like Facebook work on algorithms. To put it very simply, data is collected on how many people follow your social media pages, how many times they like, share and comment on your posts, and how many times they click through to your website. The more follows, likes and shares, the more visible Zetetick will be people’s home news feeds and on internet searches. Also the more you like and share our posts the more your friends and connections will see them too, so it will really help to spread the word about our work. Another way of giving for free.
In case you would like to make a donation, however small, here is the link to our current appeals:
Thank you for all your support, and wishing you a very happy and safe Christmas from all at Zetetick Housing.
