How to give:
On a holiday all about giving thanks, community service volunteering is appealing to many. The trouble is, with so many well-meaning folks jumping on the bandwagon, volunteer spaces are overrun. It’s been said by many charity leaders such as Eileen Heisman, CEO of the National Philanthropic Trust, that service on any of the other 364 days of the year would be more impactful. Here are a few ideas for how to give back to the community year-round.
Seattle Parks Project
Seattle Parks and Recreation works tirelessly to keep Seattle public green spaces teeming with life. A quick visit to the Parks and Rec website will reveal an extensive calendar filled to the brim with volunteer opportunities. There is an activity almost every day in locations across Seattle with opportunities ranging from litter removal, invasive species control, planting parties, and restoration efforts to help steward Seattle’s environmental bounty. All that is required to volunteer is the completion of a brief online application form.
Donations
There are even steps one could take in the comfort of their own home. Volunteering can be time-consuming, and donating is a productive alternative. It takes less than five minutes to make a donation of any size to Seattle Children’s Hospital; your local Goodwill is always looking for monetary contributions in addition to donated clothing and household items; the University District Food Bank, Ballard Food Bank, West Seattle Food Bank, and YWCA Central Area food bank all accept donations on their websites and offer an extensive list of volunteer opportunities. Unlike the glut of Thanksgiving Day volunteers, there can never be too many donations. In addition to this Seattle-based list, there are hundreds of thousands of other local, nationwide, and international organizations that need support.
Adopt a street
In an effort to keep Seattle streets clean, Seattle Public Utilities offers an Adopt a Street program. All it takes is four simple steps: sign up on their website by choosing a street/block you would like to clean up, request needed supplies, clean up on your schedule, solo or with friends; and, report your cleanup on their website. Adopting a street, according to Seattle Public Utilities, is “fun and flexible.” Volunteers usually choose streets that are by their homes or on their way to work to make cleanups convenient. On the SPU website, you can find a list of the streets that are already adopted and those that need your help. Co-adoptions are also encouraged if the street you want is already taken; this redundancy serves to lighten the load of individual volunteers. Seattle Public Utilities provides litter grabbers, safety vests, gloves, garbage bags, and any other supplies you may need– all that’s left to do is sign up!
How to take:
In Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree, readers see the tree repeatedly give everything it has to a boy until all that is left is a lifeless stump. It’s important to take this lesson in giving and taking care of ourselves before we too realize a similar fate.
Here are some ways to prioritize YOURSELF during Thanksgiving break:
- Dodge potentially awkward or conflict-prone conversations at your table
Everyone knows that the Thanksgiving table is a minefield of potential conflicts with extended family. From questions about the upcoming election to romantic partners, your family knows how to push all your buttons. Save yourself the trouble of responding by simply changing the subject!
- Engage in retail therapy
While Thanksgiving might be a day of thankfulness, the next one is a day full of America’s favorite pastime, capitalistic greed. Nothing improves one’s mood more than purchasing a plasma screen TV for a fraction of its original price. Indulging in the countless Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals might just be the pick-me-up you were looking for.
- Sleep in
An effortless way to temporarily dodge your problems is to be unconscious. Set that alarm for something in the double digits, or do not set one at all. If you are unconscious for at least half of your break, it is a win.
- Place your backpack in the corner until Monday morning/ let your backpack gather dust
Schoolwork might be the absolute best way to put a damper on a long weekend, so what should you do about it? Ignore it. Leave that textbook in the corner, and let that book collect dust as you enjoy your nice leisure weekend.
- Indulge in tasty food
Thanksgiving might not be anyone’s favorite holiday, but it is well-known for its food. Indulge in that Thanksgiving spread, pour a little more gravy, and take another slice of pie. It’s a holiday, who cares!
