The holiday season is the most popular time of the year due to the amount of holidays that occur during this period. With the holidays approaching, shopping has been a key component for many families around the world. A large number of people plan on celebrating holidays and buying gifts for their loved ones each year. While people are enjoying family time and gift-giving at home, and cherishing the holiday season, there are many people who cannot afford to provide gifts for their families. Local communities should pitch in and create a better holiday season for everyone.

The most popular way of donating gifts for the holidays has been Angel Trees. These special gifting trees were started in 1979 by the Salvation Army and continue the legacy of donating gifts to this day. With Angel Trees, anyone is capable of purchasing gifts for a child or an adult to receive during the holidays. The Salvation Army will then collect the gifts from the contributors and distribute them. 

There is a Salvation Army store that is located six miles from Rock Ridge High School that students can visit and donate at. All gifts are able to be given to underprivileged people across the country. There are also other organizations such as Toys for Tots, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and many other nonprofit organizations you can engage in and consider being a part of during the holiday season.

By donating clothing and items to families who are struggling during the holiday season, one can inspire the people around them and show others how important it really is to give back. With Rock Ridge High School being full of students, it’s important to shine a light on donating and giving back to others. While it may not seem that serious, it can really have a big impact on someone’s life. 

The school organizes coat drives, food donations, and other significant fundraisers all throughout the year to give back to people across the region. The Parent Teacher Student Organization (PTSO) works hard to put events and fundraisers together for students to participate in. Rock Ridge has several clubs that work with the local community and hold many fundraisers in an effort to donate back to people in need. This helps spread the light on donating and gets students more involved in giving back to others, so they can recognize social hardships. “When you have more than others, it’s important to give back to people who don’t have as much,” math teacher Sarah Conrad said. “Donating will benefit people in so many ways.” Giving back to others deserves all the attention and should be normalized, no matter what the donation is for. 

Donating is capable of leaving an everlasting effect on people, as well as affecting people psychologically. Research has shown that donating lowers the risks of depression, improves your physical well-being, and creates stronger relationships in society, due to people feeling more generous and happy about helping others in your life. Gaining all of these feelings makes people want to show more acknowledgment and appreciation towards people’s situations. “Donating allows me to help my community and others in need and put my money towards good causes,” junior Sophie Adas said.

In the end, donating has been very significant over the past decades, and people should continue to leave a positive impact on people’s lives. This charitable act can overpower people with positive spirits and have elements in their lives that they can look back on.