With the holiday season right around the corner, many kinds of celebrations are happening with various religions celebrating their respective holidays. What’s one thing many of them have in common? That’s right, gift giving. Instead of the usual socks or scented lotion, you might want to consider another option: the gift that gives back. Here we explore some gifts we think you should ponder:
The Gift of Membership.
The GoggleWorks Center for the Arts in Reading offers memberships of varying levels and at a multitude of price points. What is included in each membership varies, but options include invitations to special events, discounts on items in the GoggleWorks STORE and at other regional businesses, passes to the theater, and more. You can purchase a membership by visiting the GoggleWorks or online at goggleworks.org/about/membership. Other worthy nonprofit organizations such as the Berks Arts Council, the Reading Public Museum, and BCTV have similar memberships that can also be purchased on their respective websites: berksarts.org, readingpublicmuseum.org and bctv.org.
The Gift of Exposure.
A ticket to any of the great theater and music groups in Berks like the Reading Community Players (readingcommunityplayers.com), Genesius Theatre (genesiustheatre.org), the Kutztown Presents series at Kutztown University (kutztownpresents.org), the Reading Symphony Orchestra (readingsymphony.org), and many others offer the recipient a great experience and the worthy community group the gift of exposure.
The Gift of Donation.
Making a donation in the name of a friend or family member to a cause near and dear to his or her heart is an often underrated option. In Berks, there is an abundance of groups that offer much to the community. Among the many are Berks Women in Crisis, Opportunity House, the Humane Society of Berks, the Animal Rescue League, Mary’s Shelter, and the Greater Berks Food Bank. Simply visit the organization’s website to see a list of needed items and how you can get them to the group.
One unique way of donating is through the Berks County Library System’s Adopt-a-Book program. The program allows anyone to purchase any library item, such as a book, DVD, CD, or magazine subscription, to donate to the Berks County library of his or her choice. A bookplate is affixed to each item purchased and donated and can be dedicated to a loved one.
Another unique gift this winter season would be the gift of warmth that Blankets of Hope provides. Based in Reading, the organization gives fleece blankets to shelters throughout the county, including Hope Rescue Mission, the YMCA, Mary’s Shelter, Opportunity House, and many others. With every $5 donation, the organization is able to get a fleece blanket to someone who needs it.
The Gift of Time.
Perhaps one of the best gifts to give to anyone is one’s valuable time. Volunteering during the holiday season, or at any time during the year, could be a life-changing and fun experience. Many of the organizations mentioned before hold holiday events where meals are handed out, and call for volunteers to distribute food.
There are many kinds of traditions during the holidays that involve giving gifts, so why not start a new one? One that gives back to the community could not only start new experiences, but could also brighten someone’s day.
Opportunity House: opphouse.org
Berks Women in Crisis: berkswomenincrisis.org
Humane Society of Berks: berkshumane.org
Animal Rescue League: berksarl.org
Greater Berks Food Bank: berksfoodbank.org
Blankets of Hope: facebook.com/BlanketsofHopeBerks
BY RUBY MORA
