How to make the world a better place this holiday season.

…and beat the doomscroll blues.

Over the last couple of years—or, if you count my journalism career, the last 15 years, keeping up with reports and data delivering bad news has become a necessary part of my professional life. Through experience, cultivation of self-care, and a careful fortification of my “resilience network,” I have a pretty good handle on appropriate compartmentalization. In the past, I’ve referred to this as my “work wall” that comes crashing down between the personal and professional, what I want to feel, and getting the job done.

During this time of the year, when work projects are winding down, and we are preparing for the next, it can be challenging to shift our focus towards spreading Christmas joy by giving to those in need without getting caught up in over-analyzing the underlying causes that necessitate humanitarian charity campaigns in the first place. I find myself visualizing root cause analysis charts and drawing lines between them, trying to understand the misunderstandings or bad intentions that lead to conflicts.

I don't think many people get stuck in a chaotic data spiral while deciding how to help others during the holidays (I hope not!). However, this year, I'm sure that just a glance at the flood of war, illness, food insecurity, and discrimination on the nightly news can leave some feeling overwhelmed and helpless. The holiday season is all about giving and sharing, but it can feel as though the world's problems are too big and numerous to make an impact.

This isn’t starting off as the most uplifting newsletter, is it? Don’t worry; I’m about to turn that around for you! Most of you reading this still have multitudes to be thankful for, and we all know that the best way to grow joy is to share joy. 

Many international humanitarian causes need our support, and there are ways to help that will make you feel like you’ve truly made a measurable impact on someone’s life. Forget about writing a check or clicking a button. Here are some of the most unusual and exciting ways to donate this holiday season.

Consider donating your unused or expiring air miles to non-profit organizations such as Miles4Migrants. Financial resources to purchase airfare can be a significant barrier for refugees seeking or granted asylum, as well as those approved to migrate to legally reunite with family. Without financial assistance, refugees may have to take out loans averaging $1,100 per person. Individuals lawfully seeking asylum who are released at the US-Mexico border do not have the luxury of time or an IOM loan and need to travel immediately, but often lack the means to do so.

Virtual Volunteering: One thing that has come out of the mixed bag of pandemic lockdowns is the ability to work, connect, and volunteer through our internet connections. Upwardly Global is a nonprofit organization that helps immigrants and refugees with international credentials to restart their professional careers in the United States.* The organization provides free, virtual, and customized career coaching, training, and networking opportunities to newcomers who face systemic barriers to employment. The nonprofit has helped over 10,000 immigrants and refugees from more than 100 countries find meaningful work in their fields, and also works with employers, workforce providers, and policymakers to promote diverse hiring, inclusion, and equity in the U.S. Upwardly Global is always looking for mid-career to seasoned professionals from a variety of industries and backgrounds to add to their roster of volunteer advisors and coaches. To learn more, please visit their website.

Support Fair Trade and Second Chances: Purchase holiday gifts from fair trade organizations. This provides unique gift options while supporting artisans and farmers in developing countries. Some of my favorite websites for such gifts include the Gifts section at Women for Women International and Purpose Jewelry. Another company that recently caught my attention is Prosperity Candle. The Massachusetts-based company started out by providing candle-making and entrepreneurship training to war widows in Iraq. Since then, they’ve expanded their program, impacting hundreds of women from Burma, Bhutan, Congo, Haiti, and Iraq. Today, Prosperity Candles are handmade in the United States by women artisans living here after being admitted through the U.S. refugee admissions program.

Encourage friends and family to change how they think about shopping: Ten years ago, I served on the advisory board for The ONE Campaign's Girls + Women initiative and met a remarkable group of women, including Jane Mosbacher Morris. She is the CEO of To The Market, a women-owned B Corp that connects clients with over 200 suppliers in 60+ countries for ethical and sustainable sourcing. They evaluate suppliers' performance and provide digitized procurement, production management, and impact reporting services. Jane wrote a book called Buy the Change You Want to See, which explains how to use purchasing power to support ethically sourced brands. You can purchase it from Penguin Random House's website or your local bookstore.

Because I said so: Many of you reading this know that it started with a friend asking for help getting two women’s rights workers and their families to safety in the days before the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. None of that work would’ve been possible without the #AfghanEvac Coalition—the organizations within it and the tough, compassionate, leadership team. We’re all still working toward a full realization of the United States fulfilling its promise to our Afghan allies. Throughout our ecosystem this means everything from casework to humanitarian monitoring and evaluation to advocacy. Go ahead and add them to your holiday donation list of nonprofits.

Jump on a holiday welcome wagon: In January 2023, the U.S. Department of State partnered with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to launch Welcome Corps. This program aims to bring together groups of five or more American volunteers who can assist and support refugees and asylum seekers entering the United States through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). The Welcome Corps helps with essential tasks like securing initial housing, greeting refugees at the airport, enrolling children in school, and assisting adults in finding employment. By doing so, this program ensures that newcomers feel welcomed, included, and a sense of belonging.

It is crucial to understand that refugees and asylum seekers are not illegal immigrants; they have the legal right to seek asylum and protection under international law. These individuals leave their homes due to violence and persecution. Shockingly, as reported by the United Nations High Council for Refugees, by mid-2023, around 110 million people had been forcibly displaced worldwide. Out of this staggering number, 5.3 million are in urgent need of international protection due to serious threats to their lives in their home countries.

Refugees and asylum seekers encounter many obstacles in their new countries, like language barriers, discrimination, and job hunting. The Welcome Corps program links American volunteers with these individuals, offering critical support to help them navigate their new circumstances.

Any of these options is a great way to bring the true spirit of the holidays into the season to fight the doomscroll blues while knowing you can do something to tamp down the world’s metaphorical fires. I hope you’ll use one of these suggestions or come up with a creative way to help on your own.

Note: I really struggled to choose just these few options amongst the many out there, but if you follow me on Twitter you’ll find more suggestions rolling out between now and the New Year!