The stores are packed with shoppers, the same 20 songs are stuck on repeat virtually everywhere for the entire month, and the overall mood seems to be different. That’s right, it’s the holiday season.
Some love it, others can’t wait until it’s over and they don’t need to worry about hearing a single lyric of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” for another 11 months. However, almost everyone, no matter their religion or feeling about this time of the year, can agree on one thing: the desire to give back is much stronger once December hits.
In fact, according to the National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS), the U.S. saw $358.38 billion dollars given to various causes in 2014. The NCCS also reported that in a 2012 survey, 50.5 percent of organizations claimed the majority of their donations came during the holiday season.
To add to the giving spirit this time of year, Perkiomen Valley is giving back to those who need it.
The PV High School Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) and Aequalis are teaming up to host some donation drives so students can contribute to helping those not as fortunate as them.
The Hat, Scarf, and Glove Drive is pretty self explanatory; hats, gloves, and scarfs will be collected for the Attic Youth Center, a LGBT homeless shelter in Philadelphia. Plans for a military care package donation drive are also underway.
This will be the start of what the clubs hope will be a series of drives and fundraisers this year.
“We do it to extend our community of support, and to feel connected to that community” said Ms. Coryat, an 11th grade English teacher as well as the advisor for the GSA and Aequalis.
As for why this time of year is the perfect time to kick off a trend of giving, she continued, “I focus on blessings at this point of the year, and I realize how much we have. All of us.”