The festive season is often filled with excitement, celebration, and connection, but for many families in Canberra, Christmas can be a time of financial strain, loneliness, or uncertainty. 

Amid the rush of end-of-year commitments, taking a moment to give back can be a powerful reminder of what this season is truly about: generosity, community, and compassion.

Whether you have time, resources, or simply the desire to help, there are many meaningful ways to make a difference. Here’s how you can support Canberra families this Christmas.

1. Donate time or gifts to Local organisations

Giving trees allow families to donate gifts directly to children and adults in need. A small act of kindness, a book, a toy, a gift card, or essential items, can brighten someone’s Christmas morning.

Here are some Canberra giving tree initiatives worth supporting:

Karinya House Christmas Giving: Karinya House provides safe accommodation, practical support, and emotional care for women who are pregnant or parenting in crisis. Their Christmas giving options include:

• Donating to their Christmas Appeal
• Providing gift cards for groceries or essential items
• Supplying baby goods, toiletries and household essentials
• Supporting their fundraising events throughout December

Your contribution helps ensure women and babies experiencing vulnerability receive warmth, dignity and safety at Christmas.

Roundabout Canberra: Christmas Donations to one of the region’s most impactful charities. They supply essential items for babies and children through social workers and caseworkers. You can help by donating:

• Cots, prams and car seats in excellent condition
• School supplies
• Formula, nappies and baby care items
• Toys, books and clothing (excellent condition only)
• Christmas gift packs for families
• Volunteer hours at their sorting hub in Holt

Roundabout ensures hundreds of local children have access to safe, essential items -

a cause Parker Coles Curtis proudly champions each year.

Communities@Work Christmas Appeal: This organisation delivers Christmas hampers and gifts to thousands of Canberra families facing hardship.Ways you can support include:

• Donating non-perishable food
• Contributing new toys and gifts
• Providing gift cards
• Sponsoring an entire family hamper

Their hampers help relieve the enormous financial pressure families often feel in December.

Hands Across Canberra Giving: As Canberra’s social impact foundation, Hands Across Canberra supports more than 300 local charities.You can give by:

• Donating to their Christmas campaign
• Supporting a specific local charity through their donation portal
• Participating in matched giving opportunities
• Supporting partner events during December

Every dollar stays in the ACT, strengthening services that directly support vulnerable families.

Toora Giving Tree: For more For over 40 years, Toora’s purpose has been to support, connect and advocate for Canberra women who are impacted by domestic violence, homelessness, institutions and substance dependency to create better life outcomes and community change.

By taking part in Toora’s Giving Tree, you can help to bring relief, warmth, safety and hope to women and children rebuilding their lives. Toora Women is taking donations of:

• Money of vouchers
• Food supplies (non-perishable)
• Self-care packages
• Family experiences
• Toys for children

Toora is only taking new and unwrapped gifts only.

St John’s Care Christmas Program: This community organisation supports individuals and families in crisis with:

• Christmas food hampers
• Children’s gifts
• Emergency relief
• Fresh food and toiletries
• Volunteer opportunities

Ideal for families wanting to donate essential staples rather than toys alone.

Vinnies Christmas Appeal: Vinnies supports people experiencing homelessness, domestic violence and financial crisis. You can contribute by:

• Donating to the Christmas Appeal
• Sponsoring food or toy hampers
• Dropping off gifts at any Vinnies shop
• Participating in volunteer gift-wrapping events

Vinnies’ Christmas work reaches thousands across the ACT.

Canberra Refugee Support: A wonderful option for those who want to support refugee families and children. Ways to help include:

• Donating gift cards
• Providing new toys
• Supporting education or settlement-related costs
• Sponsoring a family through the holiday period

These contributions help newly arrived families feel supported and welcome.

Kmart Wishing Tree Appeal: Australia’s largest and longest-running Christmas gift appeal, the Kmart Wishing Tree supports children, young people and adults experiencing hardship over the festive season. You can contribute by:

• Placing a gift under a Wishing Tree in any Kmart store
• Donating a gift card
• Making an online financial donation
• Encouraging children to choose a present for a child their age

These gifts are distributed through the Salvation Army to families who would otherwise go without.

Salvation Army Christmas Appeal: The Salvation Army Christmas Appeal provides essential support to people facing homelessness, financial crisis, family violence and social isolation during the holidays. Ways to support include:

• Donating food items or festive treats
• Contributing new toys or gifts for children
• Providing supermarket or petrol gift cards
• Making a financial donation
• Volunteering to help pack hampers or sort gifts

Your donation helps ensure families in crisis receive practical support — and a little Christmas joy — when they need it most.

St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal: The Vinnies appeal supports families experiencing poverty, hardship and homelessness across the ACT. You can give by:

• Donating new toys or gifts
• Providing pantry staples, toiletries and household essentials
• Making an online donation
• Sponsoring a full Christmas hamper for a family
• Dropping donations to any Vinnies store or appeal site

Vinnies ensures support reaches local families quickly and directly, making Christmas brighter for those doing it tough.

2. Volunteering your time

If you’re able to give your time, many organisations welcome volunteers during the festive season. Volunteering doesn’t just support the community, it can also provide significant mental health benefits, including a sense of purpose, social connection, reduced stress and increased wellbeing. Helping others often creates a feeling of belonging and positivity, which can be especially meaningful during a time of year that can be emotionally challenging for many. Opportunities might include:

• Sorting donations
• Packing hampers
• Serving food
• Wrapping gifts
• Assisting at fundraising events
• Supporting community outreach programs

Consider volunteering with:

• St John’s Care, Reid
• OzHarvest Canberra
• ACTCOSS and partner services
• The Early Morning Centre
• Canberra City Care
• Ronald McDonald House Canberra
• Vinnies Night Patrol

Volunteering not only supports the community, it also creates a sense of connection and purpose during the holidays.

3. Support families experiencing domestic violence

Christmas can be an especially vulnerable time for women and children experiencing family violence.If you’re able, consider donating to or supporting:

• Beryl Women’s Refuge
• Doris Women’s Refuge
• Toora Women Inc.
• DVCS (Domestic Violence Crisis Service)

These organisations provide emergency accommodation, counselling, crisis support, safety planning, and essential supplies for women and children fleeing unsafe situations.

Even small donations make a real impact on a family’s safety and wellbeing.

4. Create your own family tradition of giving

Giving back can also be a meaningful tradition for your own children. Some ideas include:

• Choosing a charity together each year
• Letting each child pick a gift for a giving tree
• Donating outgrown books and toys in good condition
• Baking or preparing a meal to share with someone in need
• Writing cards for aged care residents or isolated neighbours
• Delivering a hamper to a local charity drive

Acts of kindness (big or small) help children understand empathy, gratitude, and community.

5. Reach out to someone close to home

Sometimes the most meaningful giving isn’t through an organisation, it’s personal. You might:

• Invite a neighbour or colleague who may be alone
• Check in on someone going through separation or hardship
• Offer support to a single parent during the busy holiday period
• Share a meal, a coffee, or a simple gesture of kindness

A small act of outreach can truly change someone’s day.

Giving back during Christmas isn’t about how much you donate or how many hours you volunteer — it’s about showing compassion and reminding others they’re not alone.

Whether through a giving tree, a charity drive, or a simple act of kindness, your generosity can help make this season brighter for Canberra families who need it most.

If you or someone you know needs legal advice or support during the Christmas season, the team at Parker Coles Curtis is always here to help.