ARTS
8
BY ALI MILLER
AND
CU LTU RE
DON’T BE A SCROOGE
THE CLACKAMAS PRINT
At times, our world seems heartless and
cutthroat, that it’s a callous and brutal meat
grinder. How can we counteract the bitterness
and apathy? What can we do to make our lives
and the lives of others better? The holidays and
winter are traditionally a time for introspection.
We think about gratitude and how we are
fortunate, but sometimes it’s not enough to
combat apathy. A 2013 study of volunteerism,
psychology and aging shows that as little as
200 volunteering hours in 12 months reduces
the risks of developing hypertension, and the
more altruistic or genuine our intentions to help
others are the- greater the mental and physical
health benefits will be. If you’re looking for
a way to give back for the holidays I’ve got
some ideas for you.
If you want to aid the houseless you can
assemble quick kits. The houseless are always
in need of sanitary items, first-aid supplies,
and new socks, underwear, hats, and gloves.
I strongly suggest when buying hats, socks
and gloves you purchase colors that blend in,
natural colors like brown, black and greens.
Be mindful that the houseless are a vulnerable
population and bright eye-catching colors
attract attention and that could put them at
greater risk. Great additions to quick kits are:
Band-Aids, butterfly bandages, non-stick gauze
pads and adhesive moleskin pads all kept in
a separate Ziploc bag to prevent spills from
contaminating them, self-sticking bandage
wraps, alcohol swabs, hand wipes, cotton
swabs, electricians tape, travel toothbrush,
toothpaste, dental floss, baby powder, liquid
soap, aloe vera gel, sunscreen (waterproof it
possible), burn cream, hand lotion, lip balm,
pain reliever, antiseptic ointment, nail clippers
and bandanas. Travel sized is best as room and
portability are always an issue. I’ve heard of
people putting items in socks for convenience
and it’s clever but who wants to wear a lumpy
sock? Some people also are hyper aware of not
providing any products containing alcohol, like
isopropyl alcohol, witch hazel, alcohol wipes,
and hand sanitizer but frankly if people want
to find booze they’re going to find it. Your
first aid supplies are not going to turn them to
drink. You can assemble your quick kits one at
a time or in groups. This simple but thoughtful
gesture could show someone who needs it that
people do indeed care.
Fences for Fido is a nonprofit organization.
Their mission “to improve the quality of life
for dogs living outdoors by building fences
is free of charge for families who keep their
dogs on chains, tethers and small wood
enclosures.” They also provide insulated
doghouse spray/neutering and other vet care
to families with pets in need. FFF provides
unchained services to Northwest Oregon and
Southwest Washington with the staff of 100
percent volunteers they need people to help
almost every weekend. If you can’t volunteer
they accept donations. For more information
please visit their website.
Even if you only begin volunteering because
it will look good on your transcript, or you’re
lonely and bored, or you are just looking to
reach out to the community, if you begin to
volunteer for less than altruistic reasons it’s
ok. You may find that over time it will begin
to crack the harshness and the gruffness of this
world. We can make this a better plSce one
act of compassion at a time, and by helping
others we can perhaps begin to heal ourselves.
Good Causes to give to
Friends of G ladstone N a tu re P ark
hH p://w w w .protecttheparks.org/
S
O
T
ah
' H
U rb a n League o f P o rtla n d
https://ulpdx.org/
l
..• ■
C o m m u n ity Cycling C e n te r
http:/7www,communi tycyclingcenter.org/get-involved/voluntej
P ixie P ro jec t
f http://ww w .pixieproject.org/
Clackamas CC Bookstore
Oregon City Campus Hours (Main Store)
December 4 - 8 ,2 0 1 7
T h e Living Room
http://w w w .theiivihgroom youth.org/1
Sisters of th e Road C afe
https://sistersoftheroad.org/
Monday - Wednesday, 7:45 am - 6:00 pm
Thursday, 7:45 am - 5:00 pm
Friday, 8:30 am - 2:30 pm
* D o n ’t Shoot P o rtlan d
http://dontfhootportland.com /
Q C e n te r
Harmony Campus Hours
http:,{/w w w .pdxqcenter.org/
Monday - Wednesday, 9:00 am - 1 :00 pm, 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Thursday & Friday, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Fences for Fido Fences fo r Fido
* n ttp s:// www. f en c e sfo
rg/
CCC ID Required!
C h il d r e n ’ s B o o k
¡kbank.org/
http://w w w .c
CAMPUS I O O M T O R I I
N a t iv e A m e r ic a n Y o u th a n d F a m ily C e n te r ( N A Y A )
:tp.7/nayapax.org/
Clackamas Print
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theclackam asprint.net
NOVEMBER 29, 2017