Good Bitches Baking Whanganui, led by Tania Taylor, is an example of how small acts can have a big impact. Photo / NZME
I have always loved Christmas.
Not for the presents (though as kids, my siblings and I waited excitedly for the streetlights to flick off so we could wake Mum and Dad) but for the way the season transforms our community.
The sparkle of Sims and Co’s Light Up Christmas, families singing at Rotary Club of Whanganui North’s Carols by Candlelight and children pointing excitedly at Mainstreet’s parade floats all capture the magic of December.
But the real shift goes deeper than festive traditions bringing a surge of Christmas spirit; generosity and care become visible in ways we don’t always see throughout the year.
And yet Christmas intensifies the structural shortfalls beneath that seasonal generosity.
Financial strain, social expectations and emotional weight sit just beneath the surface, revealing both the best in our communities and the cracks within them.
True community spirit is mutual care. It shows when neighbours step up, when volunteers give their time and when people consider one another’s wellbeing.
Behind every festive event are people whose contributions weave the social fabric that holds us together.
But not everyone experiences Christmas in the same way, and all our experiences are valid.
Some don’t celebrate at all. Others celebrate differently. And the myth of the “perfect Christmas”, flawless families, lavish meals and expensive gifts, creates pressure and shame for those who don’t match the dominant narrative.
Letting go of these ideals creates room for a season grounded in compassion, not performance.
For those living with violence, unstable housing or fractured family relationships, expectations to gather can increase risk. Disrupted routines and social pressures can worsen mental health.
People with disabilities often face additional challenges at this time of year, including accessibility limitations, sensory overwhelm and reduced support.
Curated social media feeds amplify feelings of inadequacy, particularly for young people navigating limited finances and endless comparison.
National organisations such as the Salvation Army and the NZ Food Network report increased pressure on food support toward the end of the year, and wellbeing surveys show loneliness remains a significant issue during the holidays.
For those experiencing homelessness, family breakdown, harm or food insecurity, the disparities of the season become stark. Single parents and blended families face particularly complex emotional and financial challenges.
These realities expose a deeper truth: our systems rely heavily on community organisations and volunteers to hold communities together, often without the resources or appreciation they deserve.
If Christmas shows just how much communities are capable of, then we must ask: why do our systems require holiday charity to function? And if that capacity exists year-round, why are we not resourcing it properly?
Across the country, community workers report unsustainable workloads. The State of Volunteering Report 2024 shows volunteers facing increased trauma exposure, higher safety risks and cost-of-living pressures that limit their ability to give.
Organisations echo this, with more than half lacking the funding or numbers required to meet demand. Burnout is no longer an individual issue but a structural one.
Compassion is hard to switch off. Once you see hardship, you can’t unsee it. But we cannot keep expecting exhausted people to compensate for under-resourced systems.
If we are serious about sustaining community spirit beyond December, then workplaces, funders and government must reduce the load borne by those who carry it. That means proper resourcing, offering sustainability rather than exhaustion.
Real political commitment means multi-year funding cycles, secure baseline funding and pay equity for community workers. It means recognising volunteer burnout as a workforce issue, not simply a personal consequence of caring too much.
Community wellbeing depends on the people who show up day after day, a lot of them women whose labour is essential but often invisible.
Receiving support takes courage. A small act of care, a meal, a check-in or a thoughtful gesture can preserve dignity.
Celebrating together during hardship is, in its own way, an act of resilience.
Good Bitches Baking (GBB) is an example of how small acts can have a big impact. With more than 3500 volunteers nationwide, including 74 here in Whanganui, GBB receives grants and donations, yet its volunteers are the organisation’s greatest donors.
I see their commitment to spreading kindness through baking in action. Our office regularly receives baking for various support groups.
I feel privileged to meet volunteers whose generosity shines the moment they walk in, and I often sneak a peek before delivering it, noticing handwritten notes and thoughtful touches.
These aren’t just decorations. They are expressions of kindness that sustain people in ways statistics cannot capture.
And GBB is just one example. Across Whanganui, Christmas shows what becomes possible when people come together.
This year, Property Brokers’ Pack the Bus campaign gathered donations for Woven Whānau Whanganui, SPCA Whanganui and City Mission Whanganui.
Woven Whānau then invited other organisations to nominate families to share in the gifts.
With a donated commercial space transformed into a Christmas grotto by Woven Whānau and Women’s Refuge Whanganui, families chose gifts that truly suited their needs, supporting more than 100 families and 300 children, with 30 volunteers contributing their time.
Families and volunteers were moved to tears by how special it was; the kind of community wraparound that reminds people they are seen and valued. Autonomy and choice were prioritised, reducing the power imbalances often present in giving.
Across Whanganui, markets, gift appeals, remembrance services and shared meals show how kindness can make a tangible difference. For someone facing hardship, a single moment of care can be a reminder that they matter.
But sustaining that care requires supporting the work that continues after Christmas. Hunger does not vanish in January. Loneliness does not take a summer holiday.
If Christmas shows us what is possible when communities act, then the real challenge is choosing that commitment during the other 11 months.
Community spirit is not magic. It is collective, altruistic labour.
It deserves to be supported, not just celebrated.
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