As the holiday season approaches, community organizations across Oxford are pushing to meet growing needs by starting donation drives and encouraging volunteers to step up during what many say is the busiest and most demanding time of year.
Local nonprofits, including United Way of Oxford-Lafayette County and the University of Mississippi’s Books and Bears program, are seeing demand rise sharply as families face higher living expenses. United Way Executive Director Kurt Brummett says this season always brings calls for help.
“The last quarter of the year, especially around Thanksgiving and Christmas, is always our busiest time,” Brummett said. “The need really goes up in November and December as temperatures go down.”
Brummett says community help is crucial. While local nonprofits work year-round to support families, most rely on holiday donations to sustain programs throughout the months of November and December.
“We depend almost entirely on the generosity of our community,” Brummett said.
At the university, generosity is visible through the Books and Bears holiday drive. The program collects new stuffed animals, books and toys for the children of workers who keep the university running. Donation boxes can be found across campus, or supporters can give money directly to the organization.
Books and Bears program coordinator Britnee Barnes says donating is simple for those who want to participate, whether they are on campus or in the community.
“If (people who want to donate are) not on campus, they can email us and say, ‘Hey, we want to give to this.’ Or if they have a monetary donation, they can come to us, and we’ll take a check, cash or anything like that,” Barnes said.
Beyond financial support, Barnes stresses that giving time can make just as much of a difference.
“Everybody has a chance to do their part in some type of way, whether it’s collecting donations for us or coming out for setup day and event day and volunteering to help,” Barnes said.
