The holidays are all about giving thanks and spending time with family. Many people, however, don’t get to spend the holidays as many of you are accustomed to. Over half of United States families are concerned that they can’t afford Christmas as of a report from CBS News last year.

According to National Alliance to End Homelessness, in 2017, 554,000 people were homeless in the US. 10,556 of them were in Nevada, 185,000 were families, and 87,000 were disabled. However, there are many ways to help and give back to many of these people so they can get the spirit of the holidays that everyone deserves. A lot of Miller students help to give back.

6th Grader Sofia Burks believes the holidays are about “giving thanks and helping others because some are not as fortunate.” Donating with her family makes her happy. Some steps that Sofia and her family follow while donating are finding a charity online, contacting the charity or adviser, and learning more about how to help.

7th Grader Mia Tschan thinks that the holidays are about “giving and everyone deserves to be happy.” She donates with her parents and grandparents. Mia finds fun items at the dollar store to fill stockings. She then writes a card to go with the stocking and donates them to a local charity.

Finally, 8th Grader Kaisen Nabong say the holidays are about “giving back and spending time with family.” Kaisen suggests donating clothes that you no longer need and money to charities like Goodwill.

These are just a few ways some of your peers help out, but there are many homeless shelters, thrift stores, and charities that you can donate to and find what you like doing the most. Here are a some that can be found near you:

Goodwill

Location: There are a few local locations in Las Vegas and Henderson.

Goodwill is a nonprofit company that gives job training, employment placement services, and additional community-based programs to people who struggle getting a job.

Salvation Army

Location: There are a few local locations in Las Vegas and Henderson.

When you buy at their thrift stores, many of the profits go to their Adult Rehabilitation Centers. These centers help with addictions which helps a lot of people and their families.

God In Me Ministry

Location: 1824 Leonard Lane Las Vegas , NV 89108

This shelter has helped many men and women since 1977. This shelter has a furnished room, tv, food, and is available by the month for a minimal rate. They accept donations of money and items that would be useful to others like clothes and shoes.

Photo By: Natalie Hubert

The doors of the 6th grade hallway are decorated with gingerbread men and candy to celebrate the winter holidays

“I think that when a community comes together to support each other, lasting effects are infinite,” said Jennifer Dantuono-Adams,6th grade ELA teacher.

Local heroes are people that can often be taken for granted. They help out the community for the better. They are people who try to make an impact in this world. People who use their time, talent, and resources to do good for others. Some of these people make a huge impact on those who do not have much for their holidays or put something outside to make someone else’s day better. No matter what, local heroes are the lesser known heroes of a community. Here are some of the local heroes at Bob Miller Middle School.

Mrs. Adams, 6th grade ELA teacher works to help improve her community. During the holidays she works with a program named “Shop With a Cop”. Their goal is to bring Christmas to the children who would not have an amazing holiday without this program. The event consists of uniformed officers from various local and state offices volunteering to spend their time to be with children for lunch at a designated destination. After spending some time with the police officers the children participate in a law enforcement procession then head to a store for shopping with a police officer. Each child shops for their own family as well as a child from the community where the police officer serves.

“The day to day lives and sacrifices that our first responders make are an inspiration. They arrive on the very worst day of your life where their one and only goal is to help other people,” said Mrs. Adams.

Another local hero is an eighth-grade teacher who runs the school’s beautification club, Green Team. Ms. Johnson runs the green team where they do a few things such as beautification projects which could be placing rocks around the trees to make planters, planting flowers at the entrance, and making succulent wreaths. They also pick up all the water bottles throughout the school and recycle them.

“I like all the gardening part of it. I love horticulture and it also frustrates me when water bottles get thrown away because the water does not get back to the earth and to the people who will live here in the future,” said Ms. Johnson.

Local heroes are not the only ones who can help out the community. You can too! There are many small things you can do for your community and this earth. Recycling is something that a lot of people do not do even though they might have the resources to do so. It is very encouraged by everyday people in this community.

“Recycling is great. It helps separate waste and things that could be used to make something like say your next science project. It is fun to recycle. I recycle and so should you!” said Mia Jensen, 8th grader and recycling enthusiast.

Volunteering your time to help out at school clubs like the Green Team with Ms. Johnson is also a way to help out. If you want to join the club, they meet on Thursdays after school in room 812.

There are other ways to help out, too! Such as volunteering at Three Square, a non-profit organization based here in Las Vegas focused on ending hunger for low-income families and/or children who don't have enough food for the day. You can sign up to volunteer on the website www.threesquare.org. All volunteers between the ages of 10 and 17 will need a minor release form signed before being fully approved for volunteering.

When people help out they would like others to help out as well. “When we all work together, we can make the holidays enjoyable for the community,” said Mrs. Adams.

“I recommend for everyone to help out and do their part for this community and earth in which we all live in. If everyone does their own little part in the community, it can really make a huge impact altogether, which would be great," added Ms. Johnson.