Voluntary Work over Christmas

alyth

hi - does anyone know of any organisations in Perthshire or Tayside that would be looking for volunteers over the Christmas period? I really don't want to spend Christmas with my family, and I'd rather not spend it on my own either, and I wondered whether there were any charities or organisations that could use me in any form, whether serving a christmas dinner or even washing up! I've done a quick google search but nothing came up. Thanks.

happysoul

Why don't you try the Citizens Advice Centre close to you. Or your local radio station might have something. I know I did this many years ago in Glasgow and it was thro Radio Clyde. Have a good Christimas.

Violetta_2

Hi Alyth you could look after my mil save her coming to us and being a pain,:eek: last yr I was so busy waiting on her I didn't get to spend any time with my dd who is 3 now so I'd rather play with her than wait on my lazy mil who can't even take a cup out to the kitchen:mad:
Oops sorry rant over have you tried Perth & Kinross Association of Voluntary Service or or DoIt might be a useful resource. The Salvation Army might need help but I'm not sure, may be worth asking local church groups?

alyth

Sorry, Violetta, had to laugh at your post - I seperated earlier in the year hence the post, thank god I will never ever have to put up with a mother in law ever again, can totally relate to your MiL as mine was exactly the same!

Thanks for your replies, will check out your suggestions.

Always_Harassed

Violetta wrote: »

Hi Alyth you could look after my mil save her coming to us and being a pain,:eek: last yr I was so busy waiting on her I didn't get to spend any time with my dd who is 3 now so I'd rather play with her than wait on my lazy mil who can't even take a cup out to the kitchen:mad:
Oops sorry rant over have you tried Perth & Kinross Association of Voluntary Service or or DoIt might be a useful resource. The Salvation Army might need help but I'm not sure, may be worth asking local church groups?

It does help to share and know that you are not alone.

Violetta_2

Sorry I took it way off topic (you can't tell I'm dreading Xmas already)
anyhoo I found this in Perth looks like they recruit volunteers for Xmas too. I'm not churchy myself but I'm sure any help would be appreciated regardless of faith (could be very wrong there).

alyth

Fantastic, thanks so much for finding that for me Violetta, I'll contact them on Monday - I'm not in the least bit churchy myself but I have heard of them and quite frankly I'm sure they can use me a damn site more than my own family can on Christmas Day, and at the risk of sounding altruistic, I would rather my festive period was spent helping those that needed it rather than sitting watching TV and arguing over the last After Eight Mint!

Do you want me to take your MiL with me?! Christmas is hell, I'm not celebrating it at all, I've seperated, been made redundant and then not kept on at the end of a probationary period of a job so I'm just temping, hence the request to do something rather than sit and wallow in self-pity this year, I'm so pathetic at the moment I won't even go into Perth at the weekend I so do not want to see anything to do with Christmas!

happysoul

Sorry to hear about your present situation. Keep positive I've been there done that and worn the T-shirt. Things do get better just say everything for a reason. Good comes out of bad. Next year is a New Year keep your head up positive is the only way to go. Even if you feel like running away. Just take every day one day at a time. When you think of it your thinking of others just with the thought you want to do something for someone else. Take care.

Violetta_2

alyth wrote: »

Do you want me to take your MiL with me?! Christmas is hell, I'm not celebrating it at all, I've seperated, been made redundant and then not kept on at the end of a probationary period of a job so I'm just temping, hence the request to do something rather than sit and wallow in self-pity this year, I'm so pathetic at the moment I won't even go into Perth at the weekend I so do not want to see anything to do with Christmas!

Would you? She'd love that, she loves to be SEEN to be doing "GOOD" iykwim, (that is not a dig at you or anyone who does that sort of thing just those that do it so they can tell EVERYONE how wonderfull they are helping out those poor unfortunates, do hope you know what I'm on about).

I do hope the links have been helpful, please let me know how it goes , whatever you do at least you won't have to run around after my mil.;)

alyth

happysoul, thanks for your really kind words, I appreciate them. I do exactly that, concentrate on the moment and just take each day as it comes, I'm much better now, just job-hunting and making some tentative plans for the future, like volunteer work.

Violetta, I'll contact Cath House tomorrow and see what they say, cheers so much for that link, it's perfect for what I'm looking for!

And my MiL used to email before her visit with a list of what she wanted for each meal before they came to stay, they lived down south so I had to endure them for a week at a time, it used to cost a fortune, it all had to come from M&S, she wouldnt so much as make a cup of tea for herself, it's worth all the crap of the last few months to never had to speak or see her again!!!:rotfl:

somewhere_sunlight

Good luck in finding somewhere to help out at.