“Blessed is the Season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.”
(Hamilton Wright Mabie)

Gifts can give back double the dose of positivity, especially this time of the year. What better way to spread Yuletide joy than to support the underprivileged, to help preserve age-old traditions, to give voice for the voiceless and to help nurture talented handicapped.

Weekly Sparks has been sharing inspiring stories of people and places that have given us so much joy since we launched in June this year. As the Christmas – New Year season approaches, we curated a list of worthy causes that appeared on our pages to kindle inspiration as you draw up your gifts list. 

Mouth & Foot Painting Artists. Paintings and/or reproduced paintings on cards, calendar and others. These are works of disabled artists in Singapore who learnt how to draw and paint with the brush using their mouths or toes. Sales proceeds go to the handicapped artists. Contact: +65 6747 9732 | Shop

Let’s Play. Provides free instruments, computers with tutorial videos to public schools in the Philippines to benefit students who cannot afford these instruments. Schools assign teachers to run the programme. 100% of donations go toward instruments’ purchase. Donate 

Sunshine Farm. Self-sustaining sunflower farm in the Philippines that employs and gives livelihood to persons with disability. Its revenue comes from donations at the door, souvenir shop, plants and flowers for sale, restaurant, events and special occasions functions, and sale of “Tita Sunshine'' wellness products. Contact:  +63 917 680 0214 | Facebook | Instagram 

Eighteen Chefs. Give ex-offenders a second chance in life through 18 Chefs, a social entreprise restaurant chain in Singapore. It provides a non-judgmental platform for those with criminal history to realise their untapped abilities. Dine in | Takeaway | Delivery 

Freeloafers. Support a cause one sourdough at a time through this private group of passionate sourdough bakers in Singapore who came together donating their free time and free ingredients for a cause. Simply purchase a loaf, providing fresh ingredients for its bread, or contribute your time by joining Freeloafers as a baker. Shop | Contact

Hope for the Hawkers. Hawkers in Singapore are barely making a living for the past two years due to the pandemic. Help keep their business afloat and be a part of protecting this UNESCO-declared heritage. Dine in or take-away: wheretodapao | WhyQ | SG Dabao

Pottery Jungle. Unique hand-made ceramics using centuries-old wood-firing dragon kiln technique. It’s the oldest surviving dragon kiln in Singapore that keeps the flames alive through workshops, tours and online retail. Help protect and preserve this centuries-old pottery tradition.  Shop | Contact

Willing Hearts. Help feed disadvantaged families in Singapore. WH operates a soup kitchen that prepares, cooks and distributes about 10,000 meals, 365 days a year to over 70 locations islandwide. Beneficiaries include the elderly, the disabled, low-income families, children from single-parent families and hard-up households. Volunteers, apart from a handful of staff, wholly run WH. Volunteer | Donate

Franciscan Family Apostolate. An NGO supported by Singapore influencer Claire Jedrek, FFA serves the poor and underprivileged by delivering medical supplies, providing meals and educational support in South India. Sponsor A Family | Support A Programme | FAQs

Arts Faculty. A social enterprise by Autism Resource Centre (Singapore), The Art Faculty is dedicated to showcasing and honouring the unique talents of artists on the autism spectrum. Artists earn income from their own creative works when you shop for gifts they created. Shop

Voices for the Animals. A rescue, rehabilitation and re-home halfway house for abandoned and abused animals in Singapore. You can donate, adopt and/or volunteer. Funding for shelter operations comes mainly from monthly adoption drives and donations and contributions. Contact: donation@vfa.org.sg | Donate

Style Nomads. This Singapore social enterprise trains single mums to craft quality non-tarnish lightweight fashion jewellery and accessories so they can earn a living to support their kids. Mums get 40% of the cost of each item sold. Shop

Preserving traditions. Give meaningful unique presents for yourself and loved ones from The Intan Museum to support the preservation of Peranakan traditions and culture. Shop | Book a virtual tour | Book a visit | Join a Master Class | Singaporediscover |

Give Voice for the Voiceless. Battling online sexual exploitation of children is one of the campaigns of global NGO International Justice Mission as it works with local justice systems to end violence against people living in poverty. Donate by 15 December 2021 to rescue more children and your gift will be matched. | www.ijm.org 

Rachel House. No child should ever have to live or die in pain. Rachel House provides medical palliative care to children in Indonesia  from marginalised communities living with serious and life-threatening conditions like cancer and HIV-AIDS.  Donate | Volunteer | Partner | Fund Raise

Tips:  

• You can purchase gifts from an entity for a worthy cause – a community livelihood, protecting the environment, supporting the disabled, etc.

• In lieu of sending presents, donate in the name the person/s you’re giving to. Don’t forget to write a note to your loved ones or friends that you have done so lest they’d think you dropped their names from your gift list.

• Gifts don’t always come in boxes. Spend a meaningful but fun day with your loved ones and friends. Book a tour, volunteer for a cause with your family and friends, arrange a virtual tour at a museum, or visit local attractions – all these will also enable you to support a worthy cause. 

All it takes is one kind act to spark joy in someone’s day.

Debbie | ws