It is almost that time of year when we start hearing the Salvation Army bells ringing in front of area stores. Does anyone else feel obligated to put their spare change or a dollar bill in the bucket every day until they go away? Sometimes, I find myself feeling like I owe the bell ringer an explanation that I already pitched in my contribution, as if they are keeping track of those who chipped in and those who did not. I simply cannot just walk by a bell ringer without an acknowledgement of some kind. Strange, I admit.
As we approach the holiday season, I am reminded that being a college student with a warm and comfortable home and a roof over my head is something that makes me extremely fortunate. Many people, including myself, sometimes take this for granted all year long, and have no idea how truly lucky we are to have these basic amenities. We often do not see any posts from mainstream media before or after the holidays, in regards to individuals and families in need, right here in our own community. This needs to be addressed.
While many organizations in our local area help families during the holidays, I am burdened by the thought of their suffering all year long. I am saddened by the reality that many of these children “don’t bother” making a list for Santa because “he doesn’t visit them anyway.” I had a very meaningful experience last year, which afforded me the opportunity to be Santa Claus during a party my mother hosted for the families in one of the local shelters she worked for. I experienced first-hand the pure joy on the children and adults’ faces when there was something in my big red bag for all of them. It was a great experience to have participated in. Then I came home that night, and it bothered me to think that my gifts and candy given out at that party might be the highlight of their holiday season. Volunteering my time and resources made a greater impact on me than making monetary donations in a red bucket, or even sending a check to a local agency to “help” others. When people make donations, especially during the holiday season, we never really hear what we helped fund. That is bothersome to me; I would like to know that I bought toys for local children or provided a meal for a family. The spirit of giving has a strong divide, a disconnection.
Over the course of my life, I have seen my mother donate countless hours of her time to help those in need. While many might find it easier or as equally rewarding to write a check, drop a dollar bill or two in a red bucket and say, "Happy holidays," it takes a much deeper level of involvement to build personal relationships and make a meaningful connection with these families and individuals. Experiencing the process in its entirety, from month to month, and not just around the holidays, has had a profound impact on me. It makes me want to help spread the word that some families and children do not even have beds to sleep in or warm roofs over their heads, warm clothes in the winter, or enough food to eat the other 364 days in the year, and the magnitude of the needs is far greater than Thanksgiving and Christmas. Let us take a moment to think about how nice it would be to be able to spread holiday cheer and charitable hearts all year long for these families who are struggling to survive every day of the year. Let’s give them hope, not just a few dollars in a red bucket once a year.
