How to help people in need in Stockholm at Christmas

Nordic Choice Hotels collects Christmas presents for children every year, donated by people who come and leave a present under the Christmas trees in their hotel lobbys. At several hotels you can also donate a Christmas card for 50 kr to be hung in the tree. All the gifts they collect are given to a local charitable organisation chosen by the hotel. The gifts are then given out to children in need. Gifts should be in good condition and something you think a child would appreciate. For security reasons, please don't wrap the present. Go to your nearest hotel and leave your gift. Read more here.

On December 16th, between 5-8pm, the non-profit organisation Nema Problemas welcomes guests to their "Christmas for everyone" festivities, which are arranged in collaboration with Quality Hotel Globe and several integration organisations. The Christmas celebrations are open for everyone - including people who are new to Sweden, established Swedes and anyone who doesn't have somewhere to celebrate - and free of charge. As well as dancing around the Christmas tree and presents for the kids, there'll be Christmas food and established Swedes will be matched up with newcomers to practice their Swedish and get to know each other.

On 17th December you can enjoy a Christmas lunch in Kungsträdgården prepared by some of Sweden's top chefs, with all proceeds going towards work with vulnerable individuals. This year features contributions from Mathias Dahlgren, Paul Svensson, Frida Ronge, and Tea Malmegård, among others. A lunch that's both delicious and beneficial. You can also donate new and unwrapped Christmas presents for children, young people, and their families.

For over 40 years, Folkets hus in Rågsved has organised a Christmas celebration that's free for all to attend. On Christmas Eve, they lay out a festive spread with both traditional dishes and plant-based options, along with a lucky dip, board games, musical entertainment, and a visit from Santa Claus himself. The aim is to let everyone feel the magic of Christmas and to enhance community spirit. If you want to contribute you can sign up as a volunteer.

Santa Run is a race that takes place on 1st December through the streets of central Stockholm, where participants dress up in Santa costumes. As well as enjoying a fun run, you contribute to helping people in need, as all proceeds from the race are distributed among charities such as the Red Cross, Stockholm City Mission, Doctors Without Borders and the Children's Cancer Foundation. The distance is either 3 or 6 km, and it's fine to walk if you don't want to run.

Since 2007, Jul i Gemenskap - Christmas in Community - has been organising an alternative Christmas celebration on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day where everyone is welcome. The celebration takes place indoors in several different places in Stockholm and there is a Christmas breakfast, Christmas lunch, Christmas buffet and Christmas gift giving. And, naturally, plenty of togetherness. If you want to lend a hand before or during the celebrations, you can apply to be a volunteer via Volontärbyrån.

Görvälns Castle will be collecting Christmas presents to give to war-affected children and young people in Ukraine. The collection takes place on 8 December on the same day as the hotel's Christmas market, where coffee and drinks will also be served to warm you up. Leave the Christmas gift wrapped with a note indicating which gender and age it is intended to be given to.

Christmas is a dfficult time for many and loneliness, poverty and social exclusion are often intensified during the holidays. If you want to get involved in the run up to Christmas, and over Christmas itself, there are plenty of things you can do via Stadsmissionen. Start a collection via Facebook, for example, donate new and unused Christmas presents to children, young people and homeless people (collection (9-13 and 16-23 Dec on Blekholmstorget 20)), or clothes and household objects to one of their charity shops.

Julhjälpen (Christmas help) is a non-profit page on Facebook for people in Stockholm who want to help other families in the lead-up to Christmas. Both large and small contributions are welcome – it can be anything from donating a Christmas gift to sending some money that goes towards buying Christmas food for those in need. In the last weeks before Christmas, help is also needed to deliver gifts and food parcels. The idea is to make it easy to contribute – because no one can do everything, but everyone can do something.

However you're feeling in the run-up to Christmas, the Swedish Church is there for you. Congregations all around the country will be holding services, concerts and collections around Christmas - and if you can't or don't want to go to church there are digital events you can take part in.

Birkagården will be organising their Christmas celebrations on 26th December - an event that's been happening for more than 10 years. They lay out a Christmas buffet with space for around 100 people, and f you want to contribute you can donate clothes or money, which people in need will use to buy food and drinks. 

Johannes congregation in Norrmalm has worked for many years donating gifts and experiences to families in economic hardship who are members of the Facebook group "Familj till familj på Norrmalm" (Family to family in Norrmalm). The congregation has chosen to collect Christmas gifts for children and teenagers. Money to buy the presents is always appreciated, but they're also happy to receive physical gifts and experiences, such as café and restaurant vouchers, admission to museums and cinema certificates. Physical Christmas presents can be handed in to the caretaker in Stefanskyrkan in Vanadislunden or to the parish office at Frejgatan 31.

On Christmas Eve, Sundbyberg's swimming pool is open between 9am and midday for lonely, homeless and other needy people. Children and adults can swim in the pool and take a sauna, and there will be coffee, foot care, hairdressing and the distribution of new, warm clothes. Anyone who wants to contribute can leave clothes at either Sundbyberg's town hall or the swimming centre.