How to Help an Unemployed Family at Christmas

There are times when the unemployment rate is staggering. In fact, you may know a family who is unemployed at this very moment. While unemployment is never easy, it's even harder during the holidays. Families with little money to spare simply can't afford to celebrate Christmas. While it's heartbreaking, they know that keeping a roof over their heads and their children fed is more important. That doesn't mean they have to do without though. There are several ways you can help an unemployed family this Christmas.

Instructions

1. Put together a holiday meal. Depending on how long the family has been unemployed, a Christmas dinner may be out of the question. They simply can't spare the money on the extra ingredients. That's where you can help out. As you shop for your holiday meal, buy extra ingredients. Package them all together so that the family can prepare a complete Christmas dinner. You may think this is a small way to help out, but it will mean more than you'll ever know.

2. Get the sizes of clothing and shoes the family wears. If you know the family, this will be really easy. Simply bring up clothing sizes in a causal conversation. For example, mention that your children are growing by leaps and bounds and then ask what sizes their children wear. If you don't know the family really well, you can also purchase a gift card.

3. Find out what the children are interested in. Toys can completely change a child's outlook on life. For a few days or weeks, they can escape the financial stress that's been placed on their family. If you're unsure what their interests may be, consider board games. Board games are a wonderful way to bring families together and offer many years of entertainment.

4. Remember family pets. All too often, people forget just how expensive a pet can be. When a family is faced with unemployment, they may have to cut back to feeding their pet table scraps. They may also have to stop buying medication. Help their pet by including high quality food and flea medication. You may also want to include toys and treats.

5. Include a gift card or money. It's impossible to predict the needs of an unemployed family. That's why a monetary donation always helps. Even after Christmas is over, the family will have extra money for groceries and utilities.

Tips & Warnings

• To avoid embarrassing the family, place the gifts on their doorstep and leave before they get a chance to open the door.

• Never give the family something that will increase their expenses, such as a puppy.