TIS’ THE SEASON FOR GIVING

Since winter is the season of giving, people contribute by taking time out of their day to volunteer and help out those in need. People around the world live in conditions that put them through a hard time. Helping can be beneficial in many ways because it can improve their lives and put a smile on someone’s face, which in turn makes the person who volunteered happy. There are a plethora of ways that people can help throughout the year. Packaging food or donating toys and clothes are popular ways that people volunteer and give back during the holiday season. Over the winter break, Junior, Abigail Maldonado, will be volunteering at St. Mary’s Hospital in West Palm Beach by giving gifts and spending time with patients.
“I work with kids in the hospitals and it’s hard during the holiday season for them to be alone, so I always go and give them presents and play with them because their parents can’t always be around,” Maldonado said.
Maldonado helps out at St. Mary’s Hospital year-round by helping the staff out and taking care of patients, but she especially likes to volunteer and donate during the holidays. At the hospital, Maldonado emanates help and happiness to everyone by helping assist the hospital staff and spending time with patients. Being in the hospital is already a difficult situation for many, but not being able to spend time with loved ones can make a hospital stay even more depressing. Making the patients feel at home and making them happy during a rough time makes Maldonado feel good about herself by knowing that she helped someone out.
The winter season should be spent with family and friends, but some people do not have the ability to make those connections in the hospital. When children stay at the hospital, their parents and relatives may not always be able to visit them. Abigail ensures that these children have someone to talk to and have fun with while they are alone. During Abigail’s visits, she plays with the kids to make them happy and forget about their struggles.
Many people around the world are going through difficult times. There are many different places that people can volunteer at, such as soup kitchens, animal shelters, nursing homes, and the hospital, where Abigail Maldonado volunteers. Being able to volunteer in any way could lift up people’s day and help them out. During the winter season, people should choose to give thanks by giving back to their community and volunteering or donating items for those in need.