Holiday cheer is near and dear

Kindness and generosity are at the very heart of charitable giving. They are core to the work we do here, too. If you’re reading this, it’s almost 100% certain that they’re values you hold close as well.

When circumstances around the globe are all politics and danger and want, “cheer” seems a hollow wish. If you are one who experiences poverty, injustice, or inequity here at home, “holiday cheer” might seem a bit of magical thinking for you, too.

When so much is uncertain, returning our attention to simple ways of kindness and generosity of heart can be a life saver!

Tis the season of Fabulous Fundraisers

It’s no secret that volunteering, sharing our resources, and lending a hand are good for our mental health. If you and your family are looking for ways to enrich your Christmas season, look no further than your local charities! You can bet that there are dozens of creative and joyful endeavors happening not too far from you.

Foodbanks are doing food drives. Clothing banks are ready to receive warm coats, socks, toques, and mittens. Shelters are putting out requests for pillows and towels. ‘Better yet? Pack a back pack for the unhoused. Fill it with the essentials needed to make it through the day!

Local charities might have their own gift catalogue. They may have need of a little envelope full of gift cards that they can hand out as need walks through their front doors.

Whatever your preferred expression of kindness, there is a close-by cause ringing in the season with a creative call for help!

Bring holiday cheer home

BBC has a fabulous article highlighting nourishing and joyful Christmas traditions from around the globe. Titled, “The anti-materialist Christmas: Rituals around the world that swap gifts for meaning” (www.BBC.com, December 9, 2025) The author, Laura Hall, notes, “From remembering departed loved ones to leaning into a multi-generational game, here are seven Christmas traditions you can adopt wherever you are.” She goes on to list seven delightful, globally influenced celebrations:

1. Iceland: Reading by candlelight after Christmas dinner

2. Japan: Spoiling your other half

3. Australia: Playing cricket as a household

4. Finland: Visiting the ancestors

5. Ukraine: Celebrating spiders

6. Denmark: Making homemade decorations

7. Venezuela: Getting your skates on

Curiosity sparked? Be sure to give Laura Hall’s article a read! You might just find a Christmas-enhancing addition to your own family holiday.

A wish from ours to yours

For our part here at Donate a Car Canada, we’re here to assist in your generous efforts right on through the season of holiday cheer. With the tiny exception of Christmas Day, we will be at-the-ready to work alongside you on behalf of your charity of choice. As through every season, we offer our deepest gratitude to endlessly generous Canadian vehicle donors. Your Goodness is expressed through estate vehicle donations, scrappy ol’ junker gifts, and madly big-dollar-value auctionable vehicle roll alongs. Together, we raise thousands and thousands of donation dollars for your beloved charities.

Is there a better collaboration? A collaboration of kindness and giving! So, from our little team of hard working elves here at DACC, warmest wishes to you and yours. May you know provision, community, safety, and health. May you be met by generosity yourself, even as you give so selflessly and so often in even the smallest acts of kindness and caring. We wish you a very merry Christmas, indeed!

The post Holiday Cheer | Simple, Generous, Truly Canadian appeared first on Donate A Car.

Canada Post strike taking the tinsel out of typical seasonal support

There’s something about the magic of the Christmas season. It opens us up to giving just a stitch more generously than we do at other times of year. This season is of great significance to charities from Coast to Coast. Holiday donations account for a substantial percentage of their yearly budgets. The Canada Post strike is rippling out to cause a slow down in this critical stream of funding.

Would you like to be sure that your helping funds get into the hands of the causes you care about? Consider getting creative!

How to give when Christmas mail is on pause

The Canada Post strike brings the value of this service right to the forefront. During the Christmas season, many folks choose to mail in their annual donation. This ensures their beloved charity is well supported, and it also allows for a last-minute tax receipt, year end.

The mail being on pause does not mean that the needs being met by charities across Canada are on pause. Food and housing security are at risk for so many of our neighbours. These are tough times, and food banks, shelters, and community resources are being uniquely taxed.

If you’re unsure of how to support relief organizations, animal rescues, wildlife shelters, or your faith community, reach out. Contact the charity directly through their email contact. Call them to ask how to best build their resources base.

Some folks are uncomfortable using electronic funds transfers. While that is a simple and immediate means of getting monies to needy charities, it doesn’t work well for everyone. If that’s you, perhaps giving to a local charity that you can access in person is for you! Visit your local charity office and put your monetary gift right in their hands!

Gifts in Kind during the Canada Post strike

Many charities are in a position to receive Gifts in Kind. These are goods that can be repurposed and re-used. Some charities will accept household items and clothing. Animal shelters often have a wish list of items necessary for the care and comfort of the critters they’re housing. The limits of this kind of giving are as boundless as your imagination. It may just mean making a few phone calls to see who needs what, and how it can be put in their ready-to-serve hands!

And, of course, there’s always vehicle donation!

Donating a vehicle is an option in most of Canada! The process is simple and quick. The tow is always free, and you will always be served in a personable, cheerful, grateful manner.

The first step to vehicle donation? First, fill in an online donation form. This will take you less than ten minutes. Then, wait for your phone to ring! The tow crew will be calling to arrange your free tow at a time that suits you best. Lastly, watch your inbox for your charitable tax receipt. Even while regular mail is on pause, your receipt will be delivered right to your inbox within days of your charity of choice receiving your gift. Oh! And I neglected to mention: You can choose any charity in Canada to receive the net proceeds from your vehicle donation!

Kindness always finds a way, doesn’t it? However you choose to give in the weeks ahead, it’s exciting to think that it will serve the charity you most care about. There’s something satisfying and positive about that even when times are tough for so many.

The post Canada Post Strike Affects Charities Countrywide appeared first on Donate A Car.