Jameson Filston, Campus Carrier Online Editor
Christmas is one of the most anticipated holidays of the year. Christmas is the season of tinsel, candy canes and light shows, but along with those fun traditions comes a far more meaningful tradition – giving.
Madison Hubbard, a sophomore Bonner scholar, said that many of the non-profit organizations for which she volunteers get a huge boost in donations and participation during the holiday season.
“This is the biggest time for donations and people wanting to help,” Hubbard said.
Berry College Volunteer Services (BCVS) facilitates student and faculty service opportunities such as a Salvation Army bell ringing and donating winter clothes.
The Chaplain’s Office helped students take advantage of Operation Christmas Child, an annual event held by Samaritan’s Purse that allows people to fill shoeboxes with items for children in need, by tabling in Krannert to publicize the program and get students started on their boxes.
Mount Berry Church has a giving project every month. These giving projects support a local charity and are a great way to give back to the Rome community. The church believes that this is a great way to foster a sense of cooperation in the community.
The church sponsors other events instead of creating their own for that very reason.
“Our church is always trying to do stuff to identify different events and opportunities on campus,” senior Maya Dillard, the Service and Community Coordinator for the Chaplain’s Office, said. “We do this as a way to build relationships on campus.”
While this is the season for giving, service is a year round opportunity. Lydia Schlitt, senior and co-president of the Canterbury Club, says that participation in their service events has increased over her time at Berry. Not only do they participate in Operation Christmas Child, but they work with partners in the community such as the Rome Floyd Community Soup Kitchen and the Boys and Girls Club.
Schlitt said that the club has diversified as people seek to follow their passions, and participation seems to be growing.
“Students just seem to care more about wanting to give back,” Schlitt said.
BCVS also promotes giving outside of the Christmas season. Their service days encourage students to give back to the community.
“We get a lot of student participation and club participation,” senior Caroline Lee, student supervisor at BCVS, said.
BCVS also works to match up students with opportunities that would interest them.
“This year we have had a more targeted approach in trying to communicate with students,” Lee said.
There are plenty of opportunities to give on-campus, and the Christmas season highlights many opportunities.