Along with turkey feasts and NFL games, Thanksgiving Day brings about another tradition: community service.
For years, the holiday has marked the start of the “giving season,” the period of time throughout the holidays in which many feel compelled to give back to their communities. During the end of November and the entire month of December, many organizations hold food drives for Thanksgiving dinners, toy drives for Christmas gifts, and holiday parties for those in hospitals and nursing homes. With this increased popularity of community service, many begin to acknowledge the blessings in their lives and desire to share these gifts with others.
As Caitlin Murray ’16 states, “Community outreach definitely reflects the spirit of [the holiday season]. It makes you realize how much you have and how grateful you are for [it].”
A myriad of community service opportunities emerge both locally and nationally around this time, even for teenagers. Amanda Warshaw ’16 enjoys the wide range of community service opportunities available locally: “I really love Thanksgiving! Between the atmosphere for giving back, and of course the food, there are always tons of ways to help others.” She continues to describe her own involvement, sharing, “Each year my family tries to contribute. We always donate as much food as we can so a Thanksgiving meal can go to someone less fortunate.”
This year, several organizations in Somerset County joined together once again to form the fifth annual Adopt-A-Family program, which provides Thanksgiving meals for local families in need. Some volunteers donated monetarily to the cause while others donated food items directly to the Somerset Food Bank.
Even more service opportunities arise as Christmas grows closer. While some high school and college students travel to less fortunate areas to volunteer, no one has to go far from home to make a difference. Warshaw acknowledges that she “always sees food, coat, and gift drives around this time.”
From the Salvation Army to Toys for Tots, more collections for the needy appear. For instance, this year the Bernards Township Library partnered up with the Bonnie Brae School and the VA Hospital to create a “gift tree.” People can select from the tree a slip of paper, containing the recipient’s gender, age, and holiday wish, and then buy the gift for the recipient. Like the Salvation Army’s annual “Angel Tree” event, this is a great way to impact someone’s life with a small gift.
Additionally, the Bernards Township Library is collecting new children’s books until December 14 for the Books for Kids Donation Drive. The collected books will reach children and teenagers in less fortunate areas throughout New Jersey.
How else can you help out this holiday season? Consider volunteering at a local food bank or visiting with senior citizens. Somerset County Food Bank always welcomes new volunteers and donations, and many senior citizens in centers like Fellowship Village or Sunrise Assisted Living enjoy talking and playing games with high school students. Also, organizations like the Bernards PEC (Parents of Exceptional Children) and the Matheny Medical and Educational Center often hold holiday parties and festivities that require volunteers.
You may also want to consider visiting a local hospital. If you’re adept at painting or playing the piano or telling jokes, you may be able to use your talents to comfort and entertain an ill patient—or if you’d just like to visit, many children would surely appreciate a new stuffed animal and a friend to talk to.
While community service during the holiday season is beneficial, it’s important to remember that people and organizations need help year-round. Students shouldn’t reserve their community service exclusively for the holidays. However, as Thanksgiving and other holiday feasts enter our dining rooms this year, let’s make an effort to participate in new service opportunities and make a difference in our communities.
Ariaki Dandawate • Feb 26, 2015 at 12:18 pm
It’s great to see that during the holidays people are compelled to give to the community which they are a part of. The irony of the fact is that people sometimes are compelled by their feelings of ‘superiority’, if you will, to give to the less fortunate. Which begs the question: does that lessen the good virtue of these donations? Personally, I don’t feel it does, because in the end, the facet in question is whether anyone benefits from it. In this case, the less fortunate benefit from donations, and the donors feel less selfish.