Why I Volunteer at GiftsToGive

News from the Mill, Think About It, Volunteers

Why I Volunteer at GiftsToGive, by Sarah Davis Blodgett

Normandin Middle School Community Service Club

Normandin Middle School Community Service Club

I have been helping to manage mill operations this fall and winter. The last few weeks have been very busy as people clear out their houses to get ready for the holidays and their donations have been pouring in.

One donation that came in on Saturday, reinforced why I spend three days each week volunteering at this amazing children’s charity. It was several bags of children’s clothes, books, and toys with this accompanying letter:

“I am a kindergarten teacher at the Lillie B. Merrill Elementary School in Raynham. During our unit on Celebrations Around the World, the students completed a literacy lesson on The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. As part of the lesson, I asked that the students bring in personal belongings (toys, games, clothing) that they would be willing to give to children in need. The criteria was that they could not purchase anything; the item(s) had to be something they already possessed that they would be willing to give up to another child – the giving of self to make another happy. The items were collected in a box and placed under “Our Giving Tree.”

I became familiar with your organization and all your efforts to reach out to families in need through Rainbow Workshop and Learning Center, where my daughter went to pre-school. On behalf of my kindergarteners, I would like to donate these items to GiftsToGive in support of all you do!”

 In Peace,  Kelly Rego, Kindergarten Teacher

This is why I volunteer: to connect children to giving and service, to empower them to make a difference in their own communities.

Thank you to Kelly and her students for reminding me, and the rest of the volunteer staff, why we donate our time.

Yes, we give packages of clothing, books and toys to children, but it is the process that is most important. It is a child going through their belongings and choosing to donate some of their possessions. It is a teenager giving up their Saturday to sort clothes or clean toys. It is a scout troop raising money to buy new socks and underwear for other children. It is middle school students organizing a book drive and collecting thousands of books.

These children truly are our hope for a better future, for a better America – not only on the Southcoast, but wherever they go as they grow!

ThinkAboutIt

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