As the holiday season arrives, clothes and toy drives provide necessary help for families in need.
Volunteers play a large part in these drives, where they collect and give out donations that bring joy to many families.
“I think the impact of volunteering is to help the community and build connections with others,” said Carlmont freshman Kayla Huang.
Samaritan House’s holiday drives aim to provide gifts and clothes for children in need. The winter months are particularly difficult times for some families, who struggle to get by, whether because of the colder temperatures or a lack of seasonal jobs.
Holiday drives are one way to alleviate some of these families’ struggles by giving them a way to participate in holiday cheer without risking their financial security.
Running these drives requires volunteers, and students from nearby communities often play an important role in charity work, whether that is by volunteering at food banks, clothes drives, or doing other work.
Volunteering or donating to charity, like holiday drives, is popular among students for the impact it has on their communities and the skills they build along the way. Donating is also an easy and quick way to contribute to the local community for busy students.
“I would not volunteer at a drive because I don’t have enough time,” said Carlmont sophomore Noah Chen. “But I would definitely donate toys that I don’t use.”
The impact that these small efforts can have is impressive, with single drives sometimes gathering hundreds of toys for children in the area.
“The kids just become overall more happy, confident, and open,” said Archbishop Mitty High School freshman Cynthia Wang, who frequently does volunteer work with charitable organizations.
The impact of toys on children isn’t just how fun they are to play with. According to a study published by the Northern Clinics of Istanbul, playing with toys develops kids’ motor, emotional, and linguistic skills, among many others. Toys are also an important part of developing self-confidence and creativity in children.
With this goal in mind, Samaritan House has been working for over 50 years, growing from a small organization providing basic services to a nonprofit that now has five different types of holiday drives alone.
These drives provide plenty of opportunities for students and locals to give back to their communities through donations or volunteering.
“Volunteering helps you find your value, boost leadership skills, and interact more with strangers,” Huang said.
