As Thanksgiving approaches, I am reminded that this holiday is not just about eating obscene amounts of pumpkin pie and having conversations with my Nana about who “Tate McRate” is. Thanksgiving, at its core, is about gratitude and community. Gratitude and community can go hand-in-hand. I show my gratitude for all the things I have – clothes, food, toiletries – by making sure the members of my community have access to the same things. And during my time at UCSB, my community is Goleta.
As a college student with a job (and no car), I understand it can be hard to know where and how to begin with volunteering. You don’t always want to make a long-term commitment, drive long distances, or go solo. So, I have compiled a list of volunteer opportunities that are close, convenient, and social.
Letters Against Isolation
Let’s start with an easy one. Letters Against Isolation collects letters for senior citizens who are living in retirement communites. All you have to do is write a letter, and, after finding a recipient on their portal, mail the letter. You can write as few (or as many) letters as you like. The holidays can be especially difficult for those living separated from their families, and getting a hand-written letter would be a wonderful way to feel connected.
This is also a great activity to do with your friends or housemates. You can decorate letters together as an arts and crafts project. It may seem like a simple thing, but it means so much to those receiving the letters (And you may even get a letter back).
Transition House
If you are interested in giving back without leaving the house, you can donate to the Amazon Wishlist of the Transition House. They focus on aiding families with children in Santa Barbara County. Over 70% of the families who enter their emergency housing will successfully end up in permanent housing, so they are a highly effective group to support. There are numerous items requested on their Wishlist that are less than $10, which means skipping only two morning matchas from Caje.
Many of their current listings are for children’s books, clothes, and toys. Donating any one of these items is a great way to help the children staying in the house have a wonderful holiday. You can also volunteer in-person with them in a variety of positions, with time commitments averaging about two hours per week.
Angel Tree
If you enjoy shopping, I would highly suggest doing the Salvation Army Angel Tree. You go online, pick up a child’s Christmas list, shop for gifts, then turn those items into Salvation Army. It is a bit more pricey, but you can always share one list with a few friends. I think children’s gifts are by far the most interesting thing to shop for (I am so sick of buying golf balls and Bourbon for my dad), so it ends up being super fun.
The latest date to sign up is early November, and most Salvation Army’s require the gifts to be turned in by early December. If you are going home for Thanksgiving break, you can sign-up with your local Salvation Army. Salvation Army is also a great place to donate clothes or other items you no longer use.
There is also Toys for Tots, which collects toys for the holidays. You can drop gifts at any Santa Barbara County fire station until 12/14. In addition to giving a gift to a child who will greatly appreciate it, you get to talk to firefighters, which is always a plus in my book.
Food Bank
Another great organization is the SB Food Bank. They have a location in Goleta, which makes it super convenient. It operates Monday through Friday and even some weekends, which gives a lot of flexibility of when you can volunteer! There are a huge variety of positions, including one-time opportunities, like harvesting, working in the warehouse, and providing nutritional education.
To volunteer, you have to make an account, which takes about five minutes. You can also sign up with friends. I used to go with my best friend in high school, and we would just gossip while also packaging food. The Food Bank is an essential organization to support right now as many people are going without their CalFresh benefits during the government shutdown. There are Food Banks all over California, so you could also consider volunteering in your hometown for Thanksgiving.
Mothers Helpers
Mothers’ Helpers is a Goleta-based group that provides baby items to families who may not otherwise have access. Raising a baby is hard enough without having to figure out where to get the necessary resources. Volunteering primarily includes sorting and washing donated items. They generally look for volunteers who can work six hours a month, so if you want something a little more regular that still is not a huge time commitment, this is a great choice. You can also send them diapers and other items through their Amazon Wishlist.
Doggy Day Trip
Last but not least, the Santa Barbara County Animal Services allows you to “adopt” a shelter dog for the day. You can register when you arrive at the shelter; there is nothing you have to do in advance. I fostered a lovely dog in the spring, and we had the best day together. It is great for the dogs to get out of the shelters for a day, and it helps the shelters learn the personality of the dogs. If you find yourself missing your pets from home, this is an awesome way to get some animal time while also aiding our local shelter.
Final Thoughts
If there is another organization that interests you in Goleta, I encourage you to reach out. There are so many other groups to support that I did not mention, like Food from the Heart, ASAP Cats, and Boys and Girls Club. Even if they do not have volunteer positions listed, you can always ask. I’ve reached out to go caroling at retirement homes in the past, and they always say yes (although they probably wished they hadn’t, once they heard me sing).
Isla Vista can feel like a bubble. Volunteering gets you to places you may not otherwise go, introduces you to people outside of the 18-22 college range, and allows you to get involved in the city that you will reside in for four years. Thanksgiving is the perfect time to make the commitment to work with just one of the amazing organizations I discussed. And if you can only go one time for one hour, that is far better than doing nothing at all.