Holidays are the perfect time to donate

‘Tis the season for giving. As classes wrap up and Finals Week comes to an end, students can finally ease up and enjoy the holiday season. Be it a stroll downtown to see the lights or caroling in your neighborhood, this is a time of sharing and reflection. The holiday season affords us the time to consider the many opportunities we’ve been given. It also provides us an ample opportunity to give back.

A bad economy isn’t stifling charitable giving in Utah. Utah Food Bank executive director Jim Pugh said they are expecting this year’s holiday food drive to exceed last year’s collection of 350,000 pounds of food.

Pugh said that this year, more than others, hunger has become a very real thing for people. Those who can give, do, because everyone knows someone in need. According to the Better Business Bureau, more than 80 percent of money raised by charities in America comes from individuals.

Stephanie Gustafson with the Salvation Army said December is their busiest time of year. Workers often ring bells in high traffic areas to collect donations for the hungry and destitute.

“Our workers are positioned with their kettles to collect donations because many people are very generous in their end-of-year giving,” Gustafson said.

There are ample causes and organizations soliciting donations so they can give help to those in need, particularly during the holiday season. Angel Tree collects gifts for children and families in need. Participants can select ornaments at Cyprus Credit Union locations or Macy’s department stores and shop for the “angel” whose name is on the ornament. Operation Cover-Up is taking donations of coats and blankets that can be dropped off at Wasatch Front fire stations. Unwrapped toys are being collected by local businesses as part of the Toys for Tots program.

For the past 60 years, Utah State Hospital in Provo has endorsed “The Forgotten Patient Christmas Project,” which provides Christmas gifts for hundreds of patients with mental illnesses.

Event organizer Shawna Peterson said they “have never had a forgotten patient.”
Truly, the amount of money you choose to give matters little. Rather, it’s a wonderful time to recognize the blessings we have and help those in need in whatever ways we can. The real joy of the season comes by showing love and compassion to others.

http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/holidays-are-the-perfect-time-to-donate-1.2118921