Help those in need this Christmas with The Salvation Army

With the current cost-of-living crisis, thousands of people are expected to turn to The Salvation Army in Northern Ireland for help this winter.

In over 650 communities across the UK, The Salvation Army will be doing all they can for them, whatever their circumstances.

The charity will be working hard to provide food parcels, practical support and somewhere to sleep for people who are homeless this Christmas.

This year The Salvation Army will be supporting people at Christmas by: providing Christmas lunches and companionship to older people living alone; giving Christmas food parcels to families who are struggling to afford a proper Christmas lunch; distributing toys to children whose parents are unable to afford presents this Christmas; and battling to protect thousands of rough sleepers with nowhere to turn by developing a new initiative of nap pads providing hot food, blankets and hygiene kits.

The Salvation Army is also running drop-in day centres with access to specialist help and is working with local authorities to seek alternatives to night shelter provision.

How you can help

There are a number of ways that you can get involved this Christmas, including:

Donating to The Salvation Army’s Christmas Appeal and helping them reach those who must need help this Christmas; giving toys to the charity for children who might not otherwise receive gifts this year; joing its ‘Be a Star’ campaign by taking part in a fundraising activity.

To donate to the invaluable work of The Salvation Army this Christmas click here.

To donate a toy click here.

To ‘Be A Star’ and organise a fundraising activity for the vital work of the charity click here.

Volunteering with The Salvation Army helps them to make a difference to the lives of some of the most marginalised and underprivileged people. For more information on how to volunteer with your local Salvation Army click here.

The founders of the Salvation Army sought to bring salvation to the poor, destitute, and hungry by meeting both their "physical and spiritual needs".

It is present in 133 countries, running charity shops, operating shelters for the homeless and disaster relief, and humanitarian aid to developing countries.