Everyone loves to receive gifts during the holiday season, but giving gifts is often even more rewarding.
This time of year is called the season of giving for a reason. People give presents in celebration of religious holidays such as Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. The holiday season serves as the perfect time to give gifts to friends and family members to show them how much we care about them.
However, gift giving should not stop with those we are close to. The cold winter months provide a need for coats, hats, gloves, blankets and food for many in need. It is easy to give gifts to our relatives, but the best gift we can give may be a warm coat to someone who doesn’t have one.
Cities like Chicago and New York are often in the spotlight when it comes to the number of homeless and people in need. Even though highly populated cities have the majority of people in need, there are people right here in Mecosta County who need our help.
Something as simple as $1 donation goes a long way to helping someone get the meals or clothing he needs. If you’re not in the position to make a financial donation, you can donate your time by being a bell ringer for the Salvation Army or by helping out at a soup kitchen. Helping someone should not be a burden; rather, it should bring joy knowing you made their day better.
Serving other people does not even have to be through a sponsored charity. Shoveling your neighbor’s walkway, helping someone get their car out of the snow, or even baking cookies for someone are all ways we can help people and brighten their day.
It is easy to get caught up in the madness during the holidays. Between the lights, decorations, food, gifts, and fake trees, the holidays have become overly commercialized and are just another way for advertisers to sell more stuff.
Helping others during the holidays is something everyone should participate in. n