O’NEALS — During the holidays, it’s very important to be thankful for everything you have in your life, because some people are not as fortunate as we are. There are multitudes of less fortunate people in the valley and we should be aware of these saddening facts.
On Thanksgiving morning, my family and I, along with my dad’s business Fiesta Auto Insurance, went out and fed the homeless. They’re on the cold streets and have very little to keep themselves warm, so we handed out comfy clothes for them to wear throughout the winter months and fed them a wonderful Thanksgiving meal.
Homelessness is a very sad thing and we need to help! Giving back to the community is always a very nice thing to do. By doing this around the holidays, you assist the less fortunate and receive the satisfaction of seeing a bright and cheery smile on their faces.
The homeless people in Fresno, where my family and I gave out clothes and food, were beyond thankful. They loved, not only receiving clothes and food but, seeing how happy and giving we were to others. It is very heart wrenching to see another human being starve and freeze. No child, mother, father, or person should have to suffer in such a way. The homeless are beyond grateful for anything you donate to their families.
There are different ways to help throughout the valley. You can contact an organization, and you can ask friends and family and collect clothing and take it to your local shelter. You can even get together with friends and family and make a homemade meal. This will make their day much brighter.
We’ve been helping since last year, in 2015. The outcome, both years, has been wonderful. It warms my heart that all of my family and friends come out and help hand out clothes and food to children and adults. I never realized how many homeless people there really were in the valley until I went for myself, hands on, and helped.
Something that really touched my heart was how nice and full of joy everyone was. Also, how a man walked up to me and asked for a beverage to drink and went along to tell me how he still has to pay his bill for his scooter because he’s disabled. It touched my heart because it shows that even if you’re less fortunate that you still have responsibilities. This man had a very kind soul and I appreciate seeing people like that.
I learned a lot from these experiences and I hope to continue this every Thanksgiving. It’s the best thing in the world to see the biggest smile when you help people out. Remember, you can always donate and help out during any time of the year, not only the holiday season. I can’t wait to give back and donate again and touch more hearts.
Jazmin Neri is a Minarets student enrolled in Digital Writing
