As soon as mid-December hits, the holiday season is in full swing. Holiday plans are being confirmed, gifts are being bought, and Christmas movies are being aired again and again. There is an aura of excitement that isn’t found at any other time. Conversely, this excitement only amplifies the fact that those who are less fortunate will not get to enjoy the same festivities. To compensate for this imbalance in society, many people decide to give back during the holiday season by volunteering at soup kitchens to feed the hungry, donating clothes and blankets for the homeless, and buying toys and other gifts for parents who can’t afford them for their own children.
Families, groups of student volunteers, and kindhearted individuals can all be seen in a variety of settings trying to “do their part” in making the holidays better for those in need. And while these acts of service are unquestionably helpful and beneficial to society, they are simply not enough.
It does make sense that the holiday season is the time that brings in the most volunteers. The concept of families giving back by spending a December night working at a homeless shelter or soup kitchen is a longstanding norm. Parents like to take the opportunity to not only help their community during a time of year when those in need may feel the most helpless and alone, but also to introduce their children to community service. This is often a yearly tradition for families during the holidays.
The problem is that volunteering becomes more about the family outing and less about the actual service and its purpose. While this does not change the fact that their actions are helping people, because they definitely are, it does weaken the urgency that people feel when it comes to community service, and pushes its significance to the holiday season.
Yet although December is a time that need may be most prominent, it is not the only time that members of your community could use a hand. In the fall and later in the winter, facilities need to provide heating and warm clothing for their occupants, and the spring and summer require water, food, as well as camps or activities for children out of school.
For people who have the privilege of time and money to spare, service is an extremely beneficial use of that time and money. If the people who volunteer during the holiday season were dispersed throughout the year, or even helped both during the holidays and at another time, a severe impact would be made.
So this holiday season, get out in your community and work to make a difference. But remember that service is not only appreciated, but needed.
