Busy schedules are a dime a dozen nowadays, and college students are no exception. But winter break and the holiday season provides the opportunity and possibility of time. This season, while you enjoy your free time relaxing from your busy life, also consider gifting quality time to your family or those in need.
Holiday events
According to a 2023 Pew Research Center report by Andy Cerda, around 73% of Americans regard time with family as personally important to them. This winter season provides opportunities to enjoy quality family time, whether you celebrate the holidays or not.
Naperville provides multiple opportunities for family outings, including the Holiday lights trolley tour. The NaperLights display is also available in the downtown area for the enjoyment of families. Taking a walk near downtown Naperville, along the decorated riverwalk, families can enjoy the decorations and characters set up for NaperLights until Tuesday, Dec. 31. As for the Holiday lights trolley tour, it runs until Dec. 28.
In addition, multiple towns in the area offer family-focused New Years events. Fox Valley Park District is hosting a “Family New Years Eve Bash” on Dec. 31 from 11am-1pm. Warrenville Park District is also providing a family New Years party on Dec. 31. For those looking for a less family-focused New Years event, the Regal Collaboration New Year’s Eve part on Dec. 31 is a celebration in the Embassy Suites. You are encouraged to dress up and count down to the new year in style.
Volunteering
While attending events together is one way to gift your time this season, there’s another way that directly gives back to your community. Family members who wish to dedicate their time to serving their communities can gift their time this season. Volunteering is personally fulfilling, but it also provides valuable experience.
Nora Shannon, ’26, a Career Peer advisor in the Career Center, feels that volunteering was a great way to involve yourself in your community and step outside of your comfort zone.
“I feel like volunteering really gives you that other away to connect with your community and meet new people that you wouldn’t necessarily meet in your bubble. And I feel like it also is, again, getting out of your world and meeting people you never thought that you would have met,” said Shannon.
In addition, volunteering provides valuable experience that boosts not only your resume but your skills. While volunteering with your family and supporting your community, you can also improve your job marketing and add to your college experience.
“I think it shows adaptability. Because you’re able to show that even if you’re not getting paid for work you’re still showing up everyday, you’re still showing up on time and making a commitment,” said Shannon. “And I also think it shows that, I don’t know if this is a skill, but being comfortable with the unknown. Because I feel like a lot of people are scared to volunteer because they don’t have a lot of experience in it or they don’t know anybody else doing it, but I feel like once you do start trying new things like you’re more open to trying new things and it just makes you more adaptable.”
There are many ways to volunteer in your community this season. Within DuPage County there’s the Peoples Resource Center. This organization works to alleviate hunger and poverty in the county by providing food and basic necessities. In a similar vein, there’s also the Loaves & Fishes Community Services. This nonprofit serves DuPage, Will, Kane and Kendall Counties.
These are just a few of the services and organizations that volunteers can assist. A website called GivingDuPage compiles volunteer opportunities into a volunteer platform. The platform lists openings for volunteers, donations, events and non-profit jobs. The openings can be sorted and filtered based on organizations, need level, and other elements in order to find the best fit for you.
Gifting time
Considering the busy schedule of many college students and families during this time, going to events and volunteering may feel like a lot. But spending time together is not the only consideration, so is the quality of the time spent together. Setting aside time through events, or gifting your time through volunteering, can ensure that the time spent together is personal and intentional. Gifting your time is beneficial in many ways, not only through quality family time, but also in providing valuable volunteer experience.
