With the holiday season around the corner, there are many opportunities to serve the Midland community. DHS students who need volunteer hours for clubs like NHS or Key Club can benefit from the volunteer opportunities.

Bell ringing is a popular volunteer job students choose to engage in through the Salvation Army. Bell ringing runs from Nov. 13 until Dec. 24. Shifts are two to four hours long and volunteers monitor the red kettle, greet customers, and accept donations. To find out more or sign up for bell ringing, students can call (989)-469-2787.

On Nov.25 the Salvation Army is hosting a community Thanksgiving dinner from 5:00-7:00 p.m. Volunteering opportunities start as early as 9:00 a.m. and include set up crew, kitchen help, servers, meal deliverers, dish washers, and clean up crew.

Another way for students to serve the community is through an organization called Coats for Kids, which gives coats to kids in need. Donations should be in good condition and can be turned in between Oct. 2 and Dec. 4 to any of the collection sites around the community. Toys for Tots is a similar program but accepts toy donations instead. There are collection sites at various locations around town including McDonald’s, Big Apple Bagels, and DHS. A full list of collection sites is listed below. For any questions regarding these volunteer opportunities, students can contact Kasey Pavledes, Salvation Army volunteer and Christmas Coordinator, by emailing her at kasey_pavledes@usc.salvationarmy.org or calling (989) 496-2787 ext. 210.