2007
Forum
Local charities make donating easy
K aitlyn lathrop
Contributing Writer
We depend heavily on
holidays to provide much
of our donations. Hunger is
especially hard on families,
with children being 37%
of people who depend on
us. Some may think the
parents are being lazy and
not finding work, but at least
one parent is working 47%
of the time. Often, there just
isn't enough money. A parent
being disabled and unable to
work may
also rely
on
being Sleep Country USA,
are fighting. Many foster
children may have to go
without things like school
supplies and winter coats.
Sleep Country holds a coat
drive to provide them with
warm winter coats, usually
once in November and once
in February.
Contributing to charities
during the holidays is great,
but we need to do more.
There are so many ways
to support those in need.
Dropping off canned food,
serving at a soup kitchen,
buying a needy child a
desired present, or going
online to contribute money
are all ways we can give.
Use the search engine
website goodsearch.com
to donate money to your
favorite charity.
We may not realize
it, but we benefit almost
As soon as the holiday
season rolls around,
Americans open their
hearts and wallets. Between
November and December,
millions of dollars are
donated for things like
food, clothing and toys.
These donations benefit
all kinds of people: the
homeless, low-income
families, foster children,
sick/hospitalized children
and adults. Donations extend
to impoverished and third-
world countries. A can of
beans or jug of water
would go unappreciated
by many of us, but could
save the life of a starving
child.
We say that
Thanksgiving and
Christmas are the
times we should count
our blessings and be
Jacob Fogle, junior, and Justin McKee, as much as those we
thankful. Unfortunately, freshman, load boxes of food collected help. Studies show that
our donations often
during the ASB sponsored food drive. This people who volunteer have
end when the holidays is one of many opportunities students and higher self esteem, are
staff have to help others.
more appreciative of what
are over. The need for
Photo by Malia Chong they have, and have more
things such as food
and clothing don't.
compassion toward others.
our emergency food
What happens in, say, early
Children who volunteer
supplies."
February when the canned
benefit the most. Something
Fortunately, many local
food starts to run dry and
as simple as picking up
businesses like Albertsons
there aren't any more clothes grocery store collect
trash in the park or helping
serve food at a soup kitchen
to give away?
donations year round.
According to Jean Kempe- They have as many as three
can instill values like
Ware, director of public
responsibility, respect and
drives between January and
appreciation.
relations for the Oregon
October, and usually collect
• Food Bank (oregonfoodbank.
Share your good fortune.
at least 1,000 lbs. of food.
org), "Hunger is a
Donate this month, next
Hunger isn't the only
problem all year round.
month, in February,
problem local charities, one
Thanksgiving filled with turkey, but little thanks
K aitlyn R agan
Staff Reporter
Tis' the season of gifts,
parties, and food; a time that
can pull our focus inward
and blind us to the fact that
many people in other parts of
the world, even other parts of
the city, have much less to be
thankful for than we do.
It is almost harder,
when we are surrounded
by such blessings
and opportunity,
remember to stop
and take time to be
grateful for how
much we truly
have. When
you really
think
about
it, the
whole
idea behind
Thanksgiving, when coupled
with its celebratory traditions,
is kind of absurd. According
to the U.S. Census Bureau, the
average American consumes
13.4 pounds of turkey every
year, much of it during
Thanksgiving. The U.S.
produced 664 million pounds
of cranberries in 2006 with
Minnesota alone raising 45
million turkeys!
On this day that we are
supposed to remember all we
have to be thankful for, we
celebrate by stuffing our faces
with as much food as our
stomachs will allow. It seems
backwards. Thanksgiving
should be the day we simplify
our lives, be grateful for
everything we have, and
take time to recognize and
appreciate the little things in
life. We, unlike many others,
h a v e r e a s o n to give
thanks. I feel
like the
Thanksgiving tradition almost
pulls us in the opposite
direction.
In the U.S., we consume
more dollars worth of turkey
on Thanksgiving than the
Gross Domestic Product of 22
different nations around the
globe, according to World Fact
Book. Now that is a shocking
statistic. What we spend on
one pound of turkey is almost
equivalent to the daily living
expenses of three billion
people living on this planet.
The GDP of one quarter of
the world's nations is less
than the combined wealth
of the world's three richest
individuals. These facts
should be an overwhelming
reminder of how extremely
lucky we are to live in a
country where we are blessed
enough to even have a reason
to be thankful for anything
at all.
We are some of the richest
people in the world, yet we
much of the time, seem also
to be the least grateful. It’s
hard to convey through words
because I often don’t even
realize how blessed I am. I
know that there are people
who are truly suffering right
this moment yet I still let
my little problems and
material desires get the
best of me. We have to
make a conscious effort to
stop and remind ourselves
that we really have no, and I
mean no, reason to complain
or gripe about the petty things
because no matter how bad
our troubles are there will
always be someone who is
suffering more.
With the holiday season
coming up, let’s stop and
think about how much we
really do have to be grateful
for and give thanks. After all,
we have a whole day named
after it, so let’s do it some
justice.
"If we need a lot more
equipment, usu
ally we get more than
what’s used in other
sports."
—Alex Vermillion,
sophomore
"If they already make
money for tickets,
than they shouldn't
get the most money.
The money should be
distributed equally."
---- Katie Stevens,
freshman
*->Ji f b /A \ I j Z
How do you feel
about the inequality
o f sp o rts 1 funding ?
"I think it should be
equal. It depends on
how many people
participate in the
sport, though."
f
*
W:}
---- Mitchell
Rivet,
sophomore
"Football has the
biggest income.
There isn't a reason
for them to have so
much money."
-----Michelle
Radulesk,
junior
Ad p h o to s
o \ M a lia C h o n g