Generally people celebrate these holidays by spending time with family and friends or by giving presents. Another common way people celebrate these holidays is by serving the community.
Many of the biggest charities are providing assistance to individuals who are less fortunate. This assistance includes acts of kindness such as providing food to the homeless, writing Christmas cards to children with critical illnesses, and holding winter coat drives. Students from Georgia State University are helping these organizations fulfill their goals, either by volunteering their time or donating resources.
Organizations That are Giving Back
Gateway is an organization that provides emergency assistance to the homeless. They provide services such as food, beds, and referral services for employment. This holiday season they fed 250 women and children, and volunteers from the Sociology Club of Georgia State University helped at Gateway’s soup kitchen.
A similar organization, Hosea Feed The Hungry, is collecting food items for their Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners for the working poor and homeless. Black Student Alliance at Georgia State University held a fashion show in which participants contributed nonperishable food items for admission. A number of homeless shelters have wish lists for donations of non food items as well, including hygiene supplies such as toothpaste and soap, or clothing items such as socks and jackets.
Toys for Tots, a charity that donates toys to children whose parents can’t afford to buy gifts for Christmas, has played a particularly active role in motivating others to support their cause during this holiday season. Golden Key International Honour Society, a student organization at Georgia State University that recognizes academic achievement among college and university students in all disciplines, has been collecting toys for Cook Elementary, one of the beneficiaries of Toys for Tots.
Atlanta Community Food Bank
Atlanta Community Food Bank, the largest supplier of food items for the working poor and homeless, has been partnering with schools, businesses, and faith-based groups to collect nonperishable food items through special events. Many grocery stores, including Kroger, are participating in Can Hunger, a food drive in which customers purchase food items to donate to Atlanta Community Food Bank while doing their groceries.
Coca-Cola is hosting the World of Coca-Cola Holiday Caravan for Cans, a project in which people donate five canned goods to Coca-Cola throughout the months of November and December. Other special events taking place during the holidays to benefit Atlanta Community Food Bank are concerts, broadway performances, charity balls, and silent auctions.
While the days of Thanksgiving and Christmas have traditionally been holidays in which businesses are closed, many charities are keeping their operations open on these days. For instance, food pantries, soup kitchens, and other agencies provide their services on these days, as they do all year round. Because hunger and poverty don’t take the day off, there is high demand for volunteers to assist during the holidays.
Sources
Atlanta Community Food Bank http://www.acfb.org
Gateway Center 24/7 Homeless Services http://www.gatewayctr.org
Hosea Feed The Hungry http://www.hoseafeedthehungry.com
Toys For Tots http://atlantatoysfortots.com
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