All I Want For Christmas is to Give Back

As Christmas approaches, I have been feeling a strong desire to volunteer this holiday season. I enjoy reading or hearing stories this time of year about nice things that happen to people or families that deserve it. It is inspirational to hear of Christmas miracles and wishes that come true, but I myself have never taken the time out of my schedule to partake in them. Volunteering is an experience I truly enjoy every time I get the opportunity to do so, but because this time of year is always so hectic with finals, work, holiday parties, holiday shopping, etc. it is hard to find the time to dedicate to volunteering for the holidays. This year, I want to change that. If there is ever a time to volunteer to help the needy, this is the time of year that it is appreciated the most.

Every year I am guaranteed a delicious meal on Thanksgiving and Christmas, and this is been a staple of every holiday season I have lived through in my twenty-two years. For so many people in this world, this is not the case. Luckily there are many soup kitchens across the country that open their doors on Christmas and Thanksgiving to provide an opportunity for those who are not guaranteed that holiday meal every year. I plan on dedicating my time this upcoming Christmas to serving a meal to those who have not been as lucky as myself. All I really want for Christmas is to know that I helped make someone else’s holiday a little bit better.

Holiday parties and holiday shopping are certainly fun, and certainly a tradition, but I don’t feel that they are as high on my list of priorities this year as they usually are. Realistically, they are petty traditions that do not define what this time of year should be about. I want to use this time of year to give back and help out those who really need it, instead of sink more money in to the suffering economy.