The holiday season is the perfect time to give back to the community in a meaningful manner, with a variety of opportunities to make a difference. “It offers a chance of connection in a world that sometimes feels like it is moving too quickly,” senior Leadership student Abbie MacLeod said. Whether donating toys, food, or your time, every act of kindness counts. Here are four different ways to get involved in the community this season.
Salvation Army’s Adopt An Angel:
The Salvation Army has many ways to help out in your community during the holidays, the most popular being their Adopt an Angel program. Adopting an angel consists of purchasing a few gifts off of a child in need’s wishlist.
To adopt an angel, you can visit our closest Salvation Army, which is located in Redwood City, or our closest Walmart, located in Mountain View. You can also make donations and purchase gifts for ‘angels’ on the Salvation Army website.
Once you have chosen your ‘angel,’ you can purchase the items on their wishlist and return the unwrapped gifts to Walmart or your local Salvation Army in a plastic bag with the original angel tree tag attached.
Charity 5ks:
5k runs are a way to give back to your community while exercising and having fun. Whether you volunteer at the event or participate in the running, there are plenty of options along the Peninsula.
San Francisco offers many holiday-themed races, including the Hot Chocolate Run on Sunday, Jan. 12, which offers 5k, 10k, and 15k course lengths and raises money for the Special Olympics. Volunteering and donating is easy if you visit the Hot Chocolate Run website.
Another option along the Peninsula is the Santa Run in San Jose on Sunday, Dec. 15. This event offers a 5k run and a kid’s reindeer dash. Alongside the race, there is a holiday-themed costume contest. This race’s proceeds go to the Downtown Streets Team, which helps keep the San Jose downtown area clean, and San Jose’s Christmas in the Park, a free Christmas event with activities for children. Even if you are not a runner, you can donate or volunteer at this event by visiting the Santa Run website.
M-A Canned Food Drive:
The Canned Food Drive makes getting involved easy. Students work together to collect food and monetary donations from Nov. 1 to Dec. 5 to meet the school goal of 350,000 pounds of food. All goods collected are then donated to Ecumenical Hunger in East Palo Alto for Distribution Day. The importance of the canned food drive touches many students. “Something that feels so small to us like a can of beans does change someone’s day, week, or month,” junior Leadership student Auden Jones said.
You can stop by B-21 to sign up for canning on the “Canning Wall” until Dec. 5. Once you have gone canning, take your donations to the M-A parking lot at the corner of Ringwood Ave. and Middlefield Ave. between 8:00 and 8:25 in the morning.
If you don’t have the chance to go canning, you can drop by the Distribution Day on Dec. 7. Come anytime between 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. to help disperse the donated goods to people in need.
“Whenever I go canning, many people are eager to donate, to feel more involved in our community, and that want to share their own stories about giving, going to M-A, or just about their lives,” Macleod said.
Holiday Toy Drive:
Toy drives are another thoughtful way to help out in the community. Many families struggle throughout winter to afford holiday gifts, food, and warm clothes. Helping out by collecting toys can bring smiles to families’ faces during a difficult time.
The Menlo Park Fire Association has partnered with American Medical Response to continue its tradition of supporting families in need with collected toys for the holidays. Donating is made easy; all you have to do is purchase a new unwrapped toy and bring it to a Menlo Park Fire House by Dec. 14. If you don’t have the chance to purchase a toy, you can always make an online donation towards toys for families in need.
