Written By: 2016-17 DREAM Program and Haydenettes Team Member, Devin Wang
“The Gift of Giving”
The holiday season is most commonly known as the season of giving. But gift giving should not be the only kind of giving that is done during this time of year. It is a time to reflect, share and think about how you can make a difference in the world and for others!
Here are some of my favorite ways to give back to the community during the holiday season:
- Serve meals at your local soup kitchen/food pantry to elders and underprivileged individuals. This can be such a heart-warming experience and really make a difference in someone’s life. Most of us are fortunate to have a roof over our heads and a multiple hearty meals every day. We often take the food we eat for granted and do not really appreciate how lucky we are to be able to live such comfortable lives. Being able to help provide a meal to someone in need brings strangers together to foster friendship and a true meaning of community.
- Donate your time and blood to the American Red Cross! I used to not meet the criteria to donate blood but instead donated my time at my local blood collection center as a canteen volunteer, monitoring and chatting with recent donors. Thousands of units of blood are needed across the United States every single day. It takes less than an hour to be able to donate blood that could be used for up to three patients! Consider becoming a donor or helping out at a blood drive to give a gift that can help save another life.
- Always Dream Foundation – Growing up, I loved cuddling up on the couch with a book in my hands reading for hours. Reading is still one of my favorite pastime hobbies when I am not skating or at work. Kristi Yamaguchi established the Always Dream Foundation with the mission to inspire undeserved children to reach for their dreams through innovative reading programs and by advancing the cause of early childhood literacy.
- With the help of technology, e-reader tablets and digital books make reading more accessible for everyone. Help me and Kristi share the power to enhance childhood literacy to increase overall academic success and life potential!
There are so many other ways to give this holiday season. Volunteer, drop toys in the Toys for Tots bins, throw change in the Salvation Army Santa’s kettle. All of these are great ways to give back to your community and make a difference in someone’s life. But also keep this in mind: people need your help year-round, Make giving part of who you are, not just a thing you do.
I challenge you to let the holidays be a starting point to a life of year-round giving, instead of giving during the season of giving and then returning to your “normal life” after the new year!
– Devin
Links:
http://www.redcross.org/
U.S. DREAM Synchro 