‘Tis the season. The season for sparkly lights, eggnog, and ugly sweaters. But that’s not all Christmas is about, and this fact is so easily forgotten. Cue every clichéd line you have ever heard similar to “it’s not about getting, it’s about giving.” But really, we tend to become extra self-absorbed this time of the year with finals looming and thoughts of presents, home, and relaxation filling our heads. It truly is important to do something selfless to spread genuine Christmas spirit.
Don’t know how to get started? Luckily for us, BC is all about service opportunities. Look no further than the Volunteer and Service Learning Center. They have partnered with Cradles to Crayons for the holidays to provide us with a way to give back this season.
Cradles to Crayons is a nonprofit organization started right here in Boston that collects new and gently used children’s items. These items include clothes and toys as well as baby supplies. From there, a group of dedicated volunteers takes the time to carefully inspect each and every donated item in the C2C warehouse. The items that pass are assembled into KidPacks, a bundle of items that meets the needs of a specific child. A C2C KidPack usually includes a week’s worth of clothes and any other items that were requested for the child. These KidPacks are picked up by the social workers who then deliver the packs to the children that they are intended for.
So here is what makes Cradles to Crayons so special: not only do they aim to meet the basic needs of the children involved, but more importantly, they aim to make kids feel valued. They recognize that quality equals dignity, and they want the children to feel like they fit in at school. Abby, a BC sophomore and Cradles to Crayons volunteer intern, explains, “They don’t just want to give a little boy shoes to wear, they want to give him an awesome pair of sneakers so that when he wears them to school he feels proud, rather than embarrassed.”
You can help a child this holiday season by taking three easy steps:
Step 1: Go to the VSLC office in McElroy 114 to receive a child’s name and a list of his or her needed items. (You can also sign up by emailing the VSLC at volunteer.bc.edu).
Step 2: Go shopping! Take a much-needed study break to go and collect the items on your list.
Step 3: Turn in your outfit packs to McElroy 114 or to the Dean of Students in Maloney 212 by December 18th.
Do your part to make a child’s Christmas this year!
For more information about Cradles to Crayons, visit their website.