Students have the opportunity to give during the holiday season

As the holiday season officially kicks off this week, those in need sometimes get overlooked. Students have the ability to lend a helping hand during the holiday season from providing Thanksgiving dinner to spending time with kids.

Senior Kaylee Eubank said service opportunities during the holiday season change her perspective on what the holidays should be about.

“It’s really cool because it’s not something that’s focused on yourself, it’s not focused on your study time or all the activities you have to do, it’s focused on giving your time to someone else that isn’t necessarily in the OC bubble,” Eubank said.

Eubank has been involved in a service project for a couple of years that donates knitted hats and scarves to the homeless.

“It doesn’t take a lot to knit a hat or knit a scarf and it’s fairly simple and actually helps – you’re a lot warmer when you have a scarf on or have a hat on,” Eubank said.

Eubank said homeless shelters are always in need of volunteers and donations, especially in the holiday season.

“Knitting is relaxing and it’s actually helping someone and it’s benefiting someone else,” Eubank said. “It’s a stress-reliever and helping someone else.”

Every hat or scarf can make a difference, “It’s not a huge time commitment, if you only do one that’s OK,” Eubank said.

Other local organizations and charities have opportunities for students to give back this holiday season.

The Boys and Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County offer multiple programs that incorporate a youth development approach through character and leadership development, education and career development, health and life skills, art, sports and fitness and recreation.

Volunteers in the program act as a positive influence on the children’s lives by spending quality time with them.

“They can do anything from tutoring, to working with our programs, to helping with sports teams,” Jon Thompson, development coordinator, said. “It’s eye-opening for a lot of people, until — until they actually come to the club and hang out with the kids and hear their stories and struggles – it really does open their eyes and give them a different perspective.”

City Rescue Mission provides a Thanksgiving meal for those in need. Donations can be given here.

The Jesus House has been providing Thanksgiving baskets for families in need for close to 40 years. They will give out about 1,500 Thanksgiving baskets this year. Volunteer work for Thanksgiving baskets began on Nov. 20 and ends Nov. 25. To help assemble the baskets fill out the application here.

Food items needed include frozen turkeys or hams, boxed stuffing mix, chicken broth, turkey or chicken gravy mix, instant mashed potatoes, canned cranberries or cranberry sauce, canned yams, canned green beans, corn and peas, dessert mixes and pie fillings.

Jesus House also distributes special meals on Christmas and Easter, so there are still plenty of opportunities to get involved in the future. United Way of Central Oklahoma has 61 partner agencies they provide funding for, within over 125 different programs they finance. They have multiple volunteer opportunities from helping kids learn to read to becoming a community investment volunteer.

To find more service projects, volunteer work or charities, you can search this comprehensive guide.

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