Thanksgiving: 5 ways to share the holiday with those in need
The smell of fall in the air, old jack-o-lanterns being hauled off and a crisp breeze can only mean Thanksgiving is around the corner. The holiday’s arrival brings friends and loved ones together to share a warm meal. However, there are still many folks in our communities in need during the holidays. We’ve put together a list of 5 ways to give people in need a happy holiday.
5 ways to give back this Thanksgiving:
1. Greater Boston Food Bank is the largest hunger-relief organization in New England and among the largest food banks in the country.
Their Fall Turkey Drive is a great way to help out the local community. A $17 donation provides a 12-14lb turkey dinner for those in need. You can make a single donation, become an individual fundraiser or get your company involved with a corporate team.
2. Food For Free located in Cambridge, MA, rescues fresh food—food that might otherwise go to waste—and distributes it within the local emergency food system where it can reach those in need.
Food For Free accepts donations and welcome volunteers year round for home delivery, weekend truck routes, and office support. A fun way to support Food For Free and satisfy your appetite is to attend a luncheon at Rendezvous Restaurant on Nov 17. All proceeds directly support Food For Free.
In 2011, Boston Organics donated over 25,000 pounds of organic produce to Food For Free.
3. Community Servings is a not-for-profit food and nutrition program providing services throughout Massachusetts to individuals and families living with critical and chronic illnesses.
Their Pie in the Sky fundraiser has been running each November since 1993. Boston’s best restaurants, bakeries, caterers and hotels donate thousands of pies that over 500 volunteers then sell to family, friends and colleagues. Each pie costs $25, providing a week’s worth of hearty home-delivered meals to a Community Servings’ client and a tasty Thanksgiving treat to the buyer.
4. bostonCANshare is an annual food drive sponsored by Mayor Menino, the Mayor’s Office of Food Initiatives, FedEx, and The Greater Boston Food Bank.
Get involved by donating cans, cash and spreading the word about the can drive. All food items donated will go to local food panties to stock the shelves. Any cash donations support Boston Bounty Bucks which provide low income families with access to health fresh fruits and vegetables that they would otherwise struggle to afford.
5. In our local community – Harvest on Vine is a food pantry in Charlestown.
Your donation of $35 will provide a local family in need with a Thanksgiving dinner. They will be feeding 600 families this Thanksgiving and could use your support!
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In your own community, be on the lookout for a way to support those in need this holiday season through a food or clothing drive, or by volunteering with a local support group.
~From your friends at Boston Organics, have a very happy Thanksgiving holiday!
Tags: boston organics, Charity, Community, Fall, Holiday Spirit, Hunger Relief