With Halloween out of the way, Christmas is ready to come in full force! "Don't forget about Thanksgiving!" Yes, as hard as it may be to admit that Santa's time is still not here, Thanksgiving still holds an importance place in society. With the time to give back and share your love for everyone, you might be hard-pressed to figure out something selfless to do. Thankfully, Universal Studios Hollywood set the perfect example for all of us with their "Day of Giving".
On November 8, USH hosted their 14th annual "Day of Giving" aimed at connecting employees with numerous community organizations to set the tone for Thanksgiving. The studios hosted one of six volunteer locations, partnering with Operation School Bell and assisting nearly 300 homeless children from LAUSD schools. Employees volunteered, yes volunteered, their time to distribute back to school needs such as new clothes, shoes, and school supplies. The event concluded with the kids given an afternoon of fun at Universal Studios Hollywood. I see this as such an important event seeing as the youth homeless population in Los Angeles is less frequently discussed in the news.
If that alone does not warm your heart or jump start your desire to give back, employees also paired with Project Angel Food. There, volunteers helped prepare and package meals for terminally ill clients. Shane's Inspiration, The Tree People, and MEND were among the other community organizations USH partnered with for this special day. By doing this, the studios send an especially important message about what Thanksgiving really is. It's about taking time out of your day to do something good for those less fortunate than you and to be thankful for more than just your family and good friends.
I plan on giving back to my community this Thanksgiving and encourage everyone to do the same. It is not only the selfless thing to do, it is the most thankful thing to do. So take a note from Universal Studios Hollywood and volunteer your time to a worthy local cause.
