Christmas: Share the wealth
The holidays are upon us. Some have already finished their shopping, and others of us haven’t even started. Over the last few years, it seems as if a feeling of hassle comes with Christmas. Maybe it has always been there, and some of us are only feeling it as we reach adulthood, but I don’t think so. It’s the commercialization of Christmas that is wearing us down. People are too worried about what to get that one relative who has it all, or how they’re going to get all their shopping done, or when they’ll make it to the post office. And how are you going to pay for all these presents after all? And will your family and friends actually appreciate what you give them enough to justify all that trouble you went to? Many Americans are missing the point but fortunately not everyone is off-track. There are alternatives to the endless fruitcake exchange. World Vision produces a catalog full of gift possibilities, not for your figurine-collecting great-aunt, but people around the world who have far less to be materially thankful for than ourselves. For $70, you can pay to educate an AIDS-affected child in Africa for an entire year. For $75, you can buy a goat for a poor family in Haiti or Kenya. Twenty-five dollars will provide materials and training for a family to construct a 265-gallon water reservoir in East Timor. The effect could be so much more than that of buying for someone who really doesn’t need anything. Personally, wouldn’t you rather know that a child in Africa was going to school, than that you were walking around in pair of cheap Nikes? There are many more opportunities beyond these as well. Multiple groups on campus have become involved in Something Wonderful, a program to help needy families in the area during the holidays. According to Instructor David Wright, the humanities department on campus adopts a family every year. He said that buying gifts for the families is “almost a privilege,” because no single present he buys for his kids will be as important as the gifts they give to the family. He said he imagines that “the gifts we give are going to be the centerpiece of their Christmas.” Instructor Gerry Barra said she gets involved because it’s the right thing to do. “I lead a very fortunate life and if I can share a little bit of that with people who need something, I’m more than happy to do it,” Barra said. There are lots of places people can get involved over the holidays and year round. There are toy drives and sometimes it’s just a matter of recognizing a need around you, whether it’s a neighbor, child’s friend, or coworker. Share the joy this Christmas. For more information on World Vision’s Gift Catalog, visit their web site at www.worldvisiongifts.org, or call 1-888-511-6511.
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