U of G student volunteers create a guide for giving this holiday season
Student Volunteer Connections compiles list of 31 organizations looking for a little extra help
For anyone thinking about supporting a local charity this holiday season but are not exactly sure how, student volunteers at the University of Guelph (U of G) have created a guide just for that.
Grace Seminara, program assistant with Student Volunteer Connections (SVC), said the Holiday Giving Guide is a compilation of 31 organizations who are looking for a little extra help over the holidays.
"They can ask for monetary donations, item donations or volunteers, so each organization just outlines what they're looking for," Seminara told CBC K-W.
Seminara said the guide "fills a gap over the holidays," adding that "a lot of times you'll hear people say, 'oh, I want to do something to give back. It's that time of year,' and then they might not follow through because there's not really a simple way to go about it."
She said the guide puts everything in one spot and there's lots to choose from.
"If you're interested in supporting animals over the holidays, maybe you'll look at National Service Dogs or autism dog services. If you're interested in supporting food banks, you'll look at the Guelph Student Food Bank, that kind of thing," she said. "It's for everyone."
The guide was once an annual tradition of the People and Information Network (PIN), a non-profit organization that connected the Guelph and Wellington County communities with volunteer opportunities, according to a news release from the university. When that organization closed in 2023, U of G's Student Volunteer Connections took over and distributed its own take on the Holiday Giving Guide. With the success of last year's guide, the tradition continues, the release said.
SVC hopes the guide will encourage individuals to give back to the community, in whatever capacity they can, and raise awareness for the work the 31 organizations do.
The Holiday Giving Guide is available on the University of Guelph website.
Throughout the month of December, Make The Season Kind is a CBC campaign that raises food and funds for local food banks.
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