It is officially November which means it’s the season of thankfulness. Thanksgiving is the perfect time to volunteer around Santa Barbara and give back to our community. I have been volunteering for a lot of my life around the city and it always makes me feel good inside. Here are some things you can do around Santa Barbara to help benefit our community around these times:
Volunteer at Santa Barbara food bank. While volunteering at the food bank you restock shelves, sort and distribute foods, cook meals, etc. Our local food bank has a “Teens Love Cooking” segment where you can cook for families and earn volunteering hours for it. If you are interested in this easy way to gain some hours check out the food banks website.
“The foodbank and dream foundation are both good to volunteer at especially over thanksgiving. It’s a good way to give back,” said Senior Natalie Mowers
Organize food drives. This example is super simple and very effective. By doing this you can help many families experience a Thanksgiving dinner and help them not worry about where their next meal would be coming from. First you should find a shelter or food bank that needs food. You can get a group of friends and classmates to help you promote the drive for it to be successful. You can do the same with clothing supplies instead of food. You would not be getting hours for this but it is a very good deed.
Beach clean ups. Living in Santa Barbara, a big part of our community is the beach. It is important we keep our city looking beautiful and clean. If interested in cleaning up our beaches I recommend joining Connor Early’s club called Teens on the Scene.
“Teens on the Scene was started by Jack Cantin, we are continuing his legacy by giving back to the community,” said senior Connor Early. “Be thankful for our beautiful city and give thanks by keeping our beaches and oceans clean.”
Visit the Santa Barbara Rescue Mission. This does not count as volunteering but more as a helping hand. If you go on the Santa Barbara rescue mission website, for only $2.21 you can donate a meal to someone who really needs it.
Enjoy your Thanksgiving and be grateful for everything you have, if you are able, please help give back to our beautiful Santa Barbara community.
