This holiday season, Georgia Southern University students should remember the selfless ideals of giving that Christmas and Thanksgiving are founded upon.  The Holiday Helper Tree is up in the Russell Union, giving students the perfect opportunity to get their giving holiday spirit in gear early.

Oftentimes, GSU students do not think of the Statesboro community besides a few local businesses and Wal-Mart. However, Statesboro, and by extension Bulloch County, is a community with many needs. The poverty rate is high in the county and many families will go without having their needs met this holiday season, not to mention their wants.

The Holiday Helper Tree is a great way for the student body to give back to the Statesboro community in a fun and affordable way. By picking the amount of money to be spent on gifts, the student can find a budget-responsible way to help out the community. If a student doesn’t have the budget to help out a local family, then he or she does not have to participate, something that is preferable to a student fee that is given to the community.

GSU should always strive to make its hometown better, but the holiday season brings selfless giving to the forefront of the public mind. Students should use this opportunity to make Statesboro a better place.