How to Give Back on Thanksgiving

Guide Note: There are many different ways to help out those less fortunate than yourself during the Thanksgiving season. From volunteering your time at a local soup kitchen to helping organize a food drive, giving back to your community can be both fun and rewarding. Check out the information in this guide for tips on How to Give Back on Thanksgiving.

Table of Contents:

Introduction

Volunteering can be fun and rewarding! (Creative Commons photo by Cale Bruckner)
Volunteering can be fun and rewarding! (Creative Commons photo by Cale Bruckner)
  • Although Thanksgiving is traditionally the time of the year when we give thanks for all of the wonderful things we have, it can also be a good time to reflect on those who are less fortunate than us and who don't have many of the basic necessities that we take for granted. While having a charitable spirit is great any time of year, it is especially welcome during the holiday season when there are numerous opportunities to give back to those who need it most. Here are some ways that you can give back this holiday season.

Charitable Organizations

  • Start by taking a look at each of these organization's websites and reading through their mission statements to learn more about their specific goals and methods. Of course, you don't need to volunteer or donate to these specific organizations, but it will give you a good idea of the different types of organizations that are out there and the different services they provide.

Volunteer Your Time

  • One of the most common ways to give back during the Thanksgiving season is to volunteer your time at a local soup kitchen, food bank or charity. The holidays are a particularly busy time for most charitable organizations and any amount of time, energy or expertise you can provide will be extremely appreciated.

Step 1: Find A Local Charity

  • The first step to volunteering is to find a charity that needs help during Thanksgiving. Since you're probably going to be volunteering in your free time, it's usually a good idea to find one relatively close to your home. Here are some tips for finding a local charity:
  1. Start by doing an online search. Check out volunteer search services such as Network for Good, Volunteer Match and 1-800-Volunteer to help locate and identify charities in your area. Simply type in your state and zip code for a list of local organizations.
  2. Take a look through your local area phone book under the Charity, Soup Kitchen and Food Bank sections. Write down the phone numbers and addresses of the charities you find.
  3. Contact your local church, mosque, synagogue or other religious institution to find out if they have any volunteer opportunities available for the Thanksgiving and holiday seasons.
  4. Once you're done searching, make a list of 4 or 5 charities in your area that you might want to volunteer for.

Step 2: Contact Those Charities

  1. Start by calling each of the charities or organizations on your list.
  2. Ask to speak to whoever coordinates their Thanksgiving charitable programs.
  3. Find out if they actually need volunteers. Some organizations may have all of the volunteers that they need or can handle, so it's always good to find out beforehand.
  4. If they do need help, inquire about how you can go about signing up to volunteer.


Step 3: Decide How You Want To Help

  • While most people picture volunteering on Thanksgiving as helping serve Turkey dinners, soup kitchens and food banks usually need help in a number of areas. Here are some other areas you might want to think about helping out with:
  1. Pick up food or clothing donations and/or do an inventory of the items.
  2. If you have cooking skills, offer to help cook Thanksgiving dinner.
  3. Help set up for and clean up after the meal.
  4. Put up promotional flyers for the event.

Donate Food

  • If you don't have enough free time to volunteer on Thanksgiving, another great way to help out is to donate food to a local charity or food bank. Food donations are welcome any time of year, but are especially helpful during the holiday season. Here are a few tips for donating food.

Things to Keep In Mind

  1. Call your local charity or food bank and inquire about exactly what types of food they need. Each organization is different and may have different needs.
  2. Most food banks prefer non-perishable canned food items, such as canned vegetables, soups, sauces, etc.
    • Organizations that serve free meals may appreciate perishable food items as well.
  3. If you're feeling really ambitious, you can hold a food drive and invite others to help you collect food.
    Donate food to your local food bank (Creative Commons photo by James)
    Donate food to your local food bank (Creative Commons photo by James)
  4. Take any food that you have collected directly to your local food bank.
  5. Make sure that you check the expiration dates on any food items you will be donating. Bad food is worse than no food at all.

Resources for Donating Food

Donate Money

  • Since charitable organizations are usually set up as non-profit enterprises, they often get much of their budgets from donations. And while volunteering or donating food may seem like a more active approach to giving back, monetary donations can often help just as much. But before you start throwing money at just any charity,
    (Creative Commons photo by Daniel Lobo)
    (Creative Commons photo by Daniel Lobo)
    read through these tips on how to donate money wisely.
  1. Make sure the charity is reputable and will use your money responsibly. Research any potential charity by finding out if they are registered with the Better Business Bureau at Give.org, and then getting additional information on the charity at Guidestar.org.
  2. Make sure that you factor any charitable donations you make into your financial budget. That way you'll have a better idea of exactly how much you can afford to give.
  3. Keep records of any charitable donations that you make. A canceled check, credit card statement, or receipt from the charity are sufficient, and may even allow you receive a nice tax deduction.
  4. Check with your employer to see if they have a "Matching Gift" program. Some companies may match the money that an employee makes as a donation.
  5. If you are careful and do your research, donating money online can be a safe way to contribute to your favorite cause.

Get Your Family Involved

  • What's better than the feeling of satisfaction you get from helping out those who need it most? Having your entire family contribute to the effort! There are a number of benefits to getting your family involved in helping others during the holidays:
  1. Helps Bring Your Family Together: Shared activities can make a family feel more connected and can be a fun way to spend your free time.
  2. Teaches Your Children that Community Service is Good: A sense of the importance of community service and giving back is usually learned at an early age.
  3. Helps Out Your Community: Volunteering locally can help give your children a better sense of community involvement and interaction.

Conclusion

  • It's easy to get caught up in the enjoyment and excitement of the Thanksgiving and holiday season. The food, the friends, the family, the fun! And there's nothing wrong with that. But if you're looking for something that can give you an added sense of fulfillment and satisfaction, try giving back this holiday season. Whether it's volunteering at local soup kitchen, organizing a food drive, or just donating money to a worthy cause, helping people in need can be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life.

Resources

Related Searches

Salvation Army | The United Way | Thanksgiving Charity | Habitat for Humanity | The One Campaign | The Red Cross | Childhelp USA | Free Rice | Thanksgiving | Thanksgiving Dinner



Have any great tips on How to Give Back on Thanksgiving? Post your thoughts to the discussion board or email them to Andy: andy at mahalo dot com.