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Volume CXXXIII, Number 12 |
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Spreading the holiday spirit
FE VIVAS
STAFF WRITER
As the semester draws to a close and the holiday season
embraces the days ahead, student-run as well as community-organized opportunities
offer students and faculty an array of opportunities to spread the season's
spirit of giving.
The Adopt a Family project, organized annually by the Salvation Army in
December, encourages members of the community to "adopt" a low-income
family in need of assistance. The adopting members of the community provide
their family with gifts, warm clothing, and a holiday dinner to brighten
the holiday seasons of many local families.
Bowdoin groups currently collecting donations for their
adopted families are Ladd House, Boody House, Smith House, Burnett House,
Baxter House, Quinby House, Mayflower Apartments 9 and 10, Women's Rugby,
the Bowdoin Outing Club, cross-country and track, the Korean American
Students' Association, and Economics 211: Poverty, Inequality, and Redistribution,
taught by Prof. John Fitzgerald. Students who are not members of an Adopt
a Family group are urged to support these groups by providing small donations
for their adopted families.
This Sunday night at 5:45 p.m. all interested Bowdoin community
members are invited to take part in the annual Caroling in the Community
service event. The Community Service Resource Center sponsors this evening
of caroling in the Brunswick community. This year groups of about ten
carolers will visit numerous nursing homes in and around Brunswick. All
interested students, faculty, staff, and community members should meet
this Sunday night, December 9, in the Atrium of Druckenmiller Hall to
warm up their voices with hot chocolate and cookies. Caroling will take
place from 5:45 p.m. to 7 p.m. More holiday cheer will follow with a night
of music provided by Bowdoin's acapella groups at their annual holiday
concert.
The Helmreich House reminds the Bowdoin community to "not
be Grinches" by sponsoring their third annual Giving Tree to benefit
the Tedford Shelter of Brunswick. The Tedford Shelter offers temporary
emergency housing for individuals ages 18 and older. A Giving Tree fully
decorated with ornaments, suggesting gift ideas, is up in both Helmreich
House and Smith Union. Students are encouraged to take at least one ornament
and buy a gift for a resident of the Tedford Shelter. The most requested
gifts this year are calling cards, clothing, toys, games, and any other
practical items.
Gifts may be placed wrapped or unwrapped (Helmreich House
members are willing to wrap any gifts that are received unwrapped) until
December 15, when they will be collected and sent to the shelter. Any
questions should be directed to contacts Lauren Sarno (lsarno@bowdoin.edu)
or Allison Lavoie (alavoie@bowdoin.edu)
of Helmreich.
This coming Tuesday, December 11, a group of students will
be visiting nearby Coffin Elementary School to assist the children in
making holiday gifts for their families. Students who are interested in
arts and crafts and enjoy children should contact Lydia Bell (lbell2@bowdoin.edu),
the Coordinator of Student Community Service Programs, to take part in
this joyous volunteer opportunity.
Lydia Bell reminds students that volunteering should not
end after students leave campus to return home for the break. "There
are volunteer opportunities in every town, more so around the holidays,"
Bell explains. One of the best ways to start the search for community
service opportunities is through local chapters of the United Way. Information
on local United Way organizations can be found on their website, http://national.unitedway.org.
Students should also contact local schools, libraries, shelters, and soup
kitchens to aid those in need in students' own communities. The holiday
season is a season of giving and what better way to celebrate the spirit
of the season than by serving those who are less fortunate at this time
of thankfulness.