With Thanksgiving gone and passed, we enter rapidly into December and the beginning of the holiday season. It’s a season for festive decorations, for spending quality time with loved ones, and most of all, for giving.

Giving Tuesday takes place on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, and is an international event. It was created in 2012 to promote a movement of charity and generosity, and to “unleash the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world,” according to the movement’s official website. “The purpose of Giving Tuesday is to help charities, nonprofit organizations, and people around the community by raising money, donating resources, and even volunteering time,” said Maham Mobin, a senior and an officer for FBLA. “The goal is to give back to the community during the holiday season and spread positivity and love all around.

Various ERHS clubs participated in Giving Tuesday this year, and were set up in the quad during both lunches, taking donations and promoting the event. Each club aimed to give to different nonprofit organizations. FBLA collected donations for March of Dimes, a nonprofit that works to improve the health of mothers and babies across the nation. VSA collected for Children of Vietnam, which aims to help the poor and homeless children living in Vietnam. The Spanish Honors Society backed the California Immigrant Youth Justice Alliance, which seeks to eliminate the criminalization of immigrants. GSA accepted clothes and shoes to be donated to homeless youth.

“GSA decided to bring our homeless youth clothing drive to Giving Tuesday in order to allow people to donate clothes,” said Emma Wallace, a senior and officer for GSA. She said GSA wanted, “To let more people know about the clothing drive since it will continue throughout the rest of the semester.” For more information about the clothing drive, visit GSA’s Instagram page @gsaerhs.

Although Giving Tuesday is reserved for one day of the year, giving doesn’t have to stop there. With the rest of the season still ahead of us, the possibilities for generosity are endless.