With just a few days to go until Christmas, most people have their minds firmly on the many things they need to do in the run up to the big day: finalise the decorations, set the table, wrap the presents… But for countless people who run or support NGOs, the holidays mean that life goes on. After all, the many jobs that need to get done will still have to get done. 

So, this festive season, we’re proud to be celebrating the people behind a number of different local NGOs, and also suggesting ways that you, our readers, could get involved and lend a hand, both at this crucial time of year and into 2020. 

Jays of Sunshine 

Angie Amato and Maxine Aquillia started their foundation, Jays of Sunshine, in memory of their mums, who both died of cancer. They now work to bring joy to countless children suffering from cancer, by finding ways to make their dreams come true.

“Maxine and I have helped each other out through many a dark day, and the loss we both experienced led us to open our foundation Jays of Sunshine,” says Angie. “We love it but there is no doubt the biggest challenge is time, as we both work two jobs and have to plan everything around our busy schedules.”

“So we’re always very happy when people want to lend a hand,” continues Maxine. “We would love to be able to provide the children and their families with more fun experiences and events, especially during the holidays. As much as material presents can bring joy for a while, we strongly believe that an experience can create memories that will last forever. If you want to lend a hand, please get in touch! We would love to meet anyone willing to volunteer in any way.”

Top tip for helping others during the holidays:

“A little goes a long way. If you know anyone going through a tough time, even a simple message or a cup of tea could change their mood and make their day.”

Key goals for Jays of Sunshine in 2020:

“To keep as strong as we have done this year, and to keep making dreams come true!”

Association for Abandoned Animals

Francesca Runcie volunteers at the Association for Abandoned Animals, which rescues, shelters and cares for a vast number of dogs. Francesca runs much of the sanctuary behind the scenes, including planning fundraising events and promoting the dogs so they can find homes as soon as possible.

“The main challenge we face at the AAA is the lack of awareness about the treatment of dogs and neutering,” says Francesca. “The large amounts of abandonment means many people don’t give a dog’s life the same level of respect it deserves, which is why we are investing so much of our raised money into a neutering campaign, which we hope will lead to less puppies and therefore less abandoned dogs in the future.”

Asked about how people can help the AAA over the holidays, Francesca says that the organisation is always looking for volunteers. “People can also sponsor a dog online, which would help us to fund their care through the year.”

She also stresses that dogs should absolutely not be given as Christmas presents. “They are a life-long commitment and not something that should be taken on lightly.

“As for the rest of the year, we would be really grateful to have volunteers that are more consistent and trustworthy, to help us run our charity shops, as keeping it open is often hard to do because of the lack of volunteers.” 

Top tip for helping animals during the holidays:

“Don’t let abuse go by unreported. If you see an animal being mistreated, report it and follow up on it. No animal deserves to suffer.” 

Key goals for the AAA in 2020:

“We are in the process of working on a project that will help both our sanctuary and the Maltese population, giving pets the burial they deserve. Other plans are also in the pipeline but we need to target one project at a time as funds are always limited, especially on large projects that need lots of fundraising.”

Hospice Malta

Keith Delia is general manager of Hospice Malta, which provides and promotes free palliative care for people suffering from life limiting illnesses, such as cancer, motor-neuron disease, and end-of-life cardiac, respiratory, renal and liver diseases. It helps over 1,200 patients a year.

“As an NGO we strive to be accessible to all patients (and their relatives) who require our services, including over the festive season,” says Keith. “We try to create more awareness to the general public on hospice services, while also focusing on delivering education on palliative care to the other professionals we work with very closely. 

“Although we receive partial funding from the government, since our services are all free of charge, we mostly depend on donations and fundraising activities for financial support, so people can definitely support us by attending those. People can also support through the year by volunteering in our different departments, such as doing office work, driving patients to appointments, and helping with fundraising. Corporate entities, meanwhile, can think of us through the year by creating their own fundraising events to support us.” 

Top tip for helping Hospice patients during the holidays:

“Help us raise money by buying gifts, such as hampers, in our online shop.”

Key goals for Hospice Malta in 2020:

“We have embarked on a project to open the first St Michael's Hospice in St Venera – a complex that will allow the Hospice to expand its present community services, while also addressing patients’ complex difficulties through an inpatient unit, when needed.” 

Richmond Foundation

Tracy Glynn is development and communications officer for the Richmond Foundation, which supports people experiencing mental health problems on their journey towards well-being.  

“The demand for mental health services has increased drastically, along with the number of people asking for help,” says Tracy. “We used to receive 400 calls in a year but, last year, we received over 1,680 calls from the general public. Most people don’t call for themselves but for someone close to them, such as a colleague, family member or a friend. 

“As an NGO, we recognise that the stigma around mental health is still a problem in Malta. We have seen an improvement but there is more work to be done. Having people in 2019 feel afraid of saying that they have a mental health problem is a problem in itself. Plus, we often struggle to attract funds, as mental health is not a subject that attracts people and isn’t something visible. 

“If people want to help over the holidays, they could check out our new campaign, ‘The Gift of Therapy’. Through it, people can make a donation of €50 to the Foundation, which will be used to provide therapy to someone who needs it. It is a fantastic gift that could really help someone in need.” 

Top tip for helping Richmond during the holidays:

“We need a lot of volunteers to help out in our services and events. People can join as volunteers to help out in their free time.”

Key goals for Richmond Foundation in 2020:

“We have lots of plans, including supporting young people through initiatives such as mental health first aid and the better use of social media, while also increasing more awareness about mental health in general.”