December 2019

Giving back this season
By: Faith Crosby

The holiday season is one of the best times of year. All of the festive decorations, store’s filled with discounts, tons of family time, and of course getting time off from school. There’s always so much that I try to cram into my two week break, it usually involves spending time with friends and family, last minute shopping, and catching up on all of the sleep I missed during the school semester. One thing that I don’t normally schedule into my break is volunteering. Of course, the holiday season is seemingly full of joy and cheer, but not for everyone. There are so many people who don’t get to spend the holidays the way I do, and I’m very rarely reminded of that. There are so many people who don’t have a family to eat with on Christmas Day, people who don’t have money to buy gifts, or don’t have friends to receive gifts from. There are so many less fortunate people than myself, and the delights of the holiday season obscure that fact. This season, I’m challenging myself to reflect on all that I am blessed with, but also reflect on all those who are less fortunate. I don’t want my challenge to stop with reflection, I want it to end with action. Every year, I go caroling with my family and my church at a nursing home in downtown Detroit. We always bring so much love and happiness to the home, and we can always tell that we brighten their day with our presence. But, I would like to do more. There are so many opportunities to give back over the holidays, whether that be volunteering at Salvation Army, working with a food bank, or even passing out meals to homeless people. This holiday season, I challenge you to reflect on the privileges you’ve been given and and how you can give back in whatever way you can.