‘Tis the Season of Giving

Denver veterinarians gather to help tend to homeless dogs at the Denver Street Dog Coalition. photo by Maddi Abram

As the holiday season rapidly approaches, it is important to remember to give back to the community by helping or donating to a variety of charities.

Now that December has arrived, an abundance of people around the globe are celebrating the upcoming arrival of various holidays, including Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, Kwanzaa, and several other special occasions. While it is important to help give back to the community year-round, charities are particularly prevalent throughout the holiday season. It is highly encouraged that Spartans contribute to both the TJ and Denver community throughout the holiday season. Here are some ideas of how to assist in giving back to the community.

• Adopt-a-Family: Every year, DECA organizes the annual Adopt-a-Family program within the TJ community. Adopt-a-Family is an organization that helps supply low-income families with Christmas gifts. Those who are interested in getting involved in the Adopt-a-Family program can sign up here. 

• Donate to a food drive: Throughout the holiday season, there are plethoras of food drives available to the community. At TJ, both Leadership and Skills USA have embarked on a journey to collect food items to donate to those in need. Recently, Leadership concluded their canned food drive. Skills USA is currently holding a food drive in order to collect non-perishable food items despite canned food. Additionally, holiday food drives are abundant throughout Denver as an entirety.

• The Denver Dumb Friends League: The Denver Dumb Friends League is an organization that centers its focus on rescuing animals throughout Colorado. Throughout the year, The DDFL encourages bevies of people to adopt dogs, cats, and a variety of other animals. However, animal adoption seems to be particularly prevalent throughout the holidays. The Denver Dumb Friends League, located at 2080 S Quebec St, hosts a variety of different programs and ways to get involved; this includes volunteering, fostering, donating, and adopting.

• The Street Dog Coalition: Every few months, a team of hardworking veterinarians and compassionate volunteers come together to provide free medical care for dogs and cats at the Street Dog Coalition. The vets provide free vaccinations including, but not limited to, rabies and parvo. Additionally, the veterinarians give the dogs a basic exam and tend to their health. At this event, the dogs can also get microchipped so that the owner is able to find their pet if it ever gets lost or stolen. This organization is always immensely grateful for donations, which can be submitted on their website. 

• Denver Rescue Mission: The Denver Rescue Mission is a program that helps provide a pleasant holiday season for profusions of people including those who are struggling to put food on the table, maintain sobriety, and find housing. The Denver Rescue Mission hosts a variety of events and agendas including meal services for the homeless, mentoring programs, and events for children in need. Additionally, contributions to the Denver Rescue Mission can be made by simply donating on their website.

• Donate to a clothing drive: As the temperature drops, thousands of people throughout Colorado are exposed to the harsh winter weather. As a matter of fact, there are over 6,000 individuals experiencing homelessness in Denver alone. Within the Denver community, clothing drives are offered to those who are interested in helping to combat the cold. The TJ Leadership class is currently hosting a warm clothing drive to give to those in need of warm clothes.

As the end of the year rapidly approaches, it is essential to take a step back from daily life to give back to the community. By contributing to these charities and organizations, countless individuals are guaranteed to benefit from the generosity of the broader community.