ASG gives a helping hand
Angie Pineda and Steven Jung
At times it’s very easy for people to disregard the man or woman at the entrance of the freeway holding up their “I am hungry” sign.
This time of year however, it’s difficult to grasp that the less fortunate might not have a place to go for Thanksgiving and they might not have family nearby to visit.
Although many believe that poverty is a choice, maybe this holiday we can show generosity instead of presuming the lifestyle they chose was optional.
According to a recent tally report by the National Alliance to End Homelessness, California alone was estimated to have 135,982 homeless people.
Thankfully the Associated Student Government at Saddleback College offers a generous act of kindness at Thanksgiving by collecting donations and canned goods.
The events cabinet has worked hard these past few weeks to help feed 30 families with their turkey drive. The cabinet has clearly done a good job as well as working with Adopt A Family.
“The turkey drive is for the families of EOPS,” Rodman Oveisi said. After doing their count of how much food they have collected the cabinet collected: 189 cans of corn, 19 cans of sweet peas, 184 boxes of gravy for turkey, 80 cans of mashed potatoes and much more.
These acts of compassion show that no matter what happens to our country there are always good people willing to help each other as one community.
The cabinet managed to get permission to ask for donations in front of Trader Joes and tried some other locations, but it is not known whether they were successful.
The cabinet gathered cranberries, sweet potatoes, and corn bread mixes, which are all of the main foods someone like you or me might find in a Thanksgiving dinner. Other opinions from students proves that the events cabinet has not only helped others, but the way they approached people was acceptable too.
The cabinet did not try to guilt other people into helping out. They only sought to ask those that were interested in helping with their turkey drive.
“I feel that helping the less fortunate is a good cause,” student Lora Roberts said.
Everyone can agree with her that if you choose to help someone in that type of situation then you are doing a good thing. If you don’t help out, it does not make you a bad person; it just happens that taking one’s own time to assist others is seen as kindness.
“I would help out the ASG if I got the chance,” Roberts said.
Zion Mills also believes that helping the less fortunate is a good thing too.
“It’s a good idea and its not like its hurting anyone,” Mills said. “It’s your choice to help. It seems the approach the cabinet used is what got help from those that were interested.”
Another student felt charities cannot have a bad image at all.
“It’s kind of hard to have a negative attitude about a charity,” Kelly Mitchell said. “People don’t always have dinner and they have to eat.”
It would seem that charities are a good choice if someone would like to help out around the time of Thanksgiving and Christmas.
According to the Giving Children Hope organization there are about 22,000 children in Orange County who are considered homeless.
Luckily there are also many opportunities being offered in the Orange County community to help the charitable events out. The House of Blues in Anaheim and Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County have chosen 650 students and family members to gather together and have a Thanksgiving meal November 24 at the House of Blues in Downtown Disney from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
These people were chosen by the Anaheim City School District and were selected because of their living conditions or lack thereof.
Also, there is a chance for you to pre-exercise your Thanksgiving dinner by joining the Turkey Trot in Dana Point where there are around 10,000 member who will participate in a 5K and 10K race. The proceedings will go to Marine families. The Turkey Trot organization is also looking for volunteers to help with refreshments and selling event products