Cosmo’s Corner: Ways to help our community during the holiday season

Hello friends, it’s Cosmo the Library Cat.  Season’s greetings from Grand County Public Library!  

This is a time of year, I’ve heard, when people often make an extra effort to help others. As a cat, I am able to help others simply by existing. Many humans report that just seeing a cat brightens their day. And petting a cat leads to off-the-charts levels of stress reduction. However, for humans, helping others takes a bit more effort. For those of you who might want ideas for spreading kindness, I’ve helpfully put together a list:

If you love books as much as I do, consider contributing to the “Books for Tots” campaign. Now through December 31, you can buy children’s books for educational institutions in the community at Back of Beyond Books.  

You can also support children in our community by becoming a mentor for a child in our school district. If you’re interested, find out more about it at www.grandmentoring.org. 

Donate to organizations that help people experiencing housing insecurity or food insecurity. The Moab Food Bank and the Moab Valley Multicultural Center are both great organizations that help with this issue. Also, when you’re buying cat treats at City Market, the Moab Solutions bell-ringers outside provide an easy way to contribute to folks in need. 

You can spend time with the animals at Moab’s Animal Shelter. The dogs there really love it when volunteers take them for walks, and many of the cats are really grateful to get some extra human attention. 

These are just a few ideas from your friendly library cat. Of course, you might be feeling too busy right now to do anything extra, and that’s okay. It’s very important to be kind to yourself during this winter season. Take a few tips from an old pro: First, take as many naps as you need. You deserve to rest! Second, do some light stretching each day, preferably in the warmth of a sunbeam. Finally, visit the library as often as you like! 

Happy holidays, everyone!