So its nearly Christmas and a time for many to start rushing around and spending money they have not got on presents that people don’t want or need.
But does anybody just stop and think about this time of year…for lots of people its one of the saddest times of the year, percentages of calls to helplines go up and lots of people dont have the money to pay for the most basic of things let alone presents for the children.
How many of us actually give away a present or do something to help the more needy of us around Christmas time?
Last Christmas (23 to 31 Dec 2006) Missing People received an average of 130 calls per day to the Runaway Helpline – 28% more than the daily average for the year.
On Christmas day Childline freephone service received 604 calls from children and young people across Ireland. Childline also received 42 to its automated text support service and 125 texts to its one-to-one text support service.
Nearly two-thirds of survey respondents said they have suffered from depression during the holidays, often to such an extent that they do not take part in the season’s activities. Depression and suicides generally occur at a higher ratio during the holidays than at any other time of the year.
So, please take a moment, visit the older people and the housebound, buy an extra gift and donate to somewhere like operation Christmas child.
Thanks
