Thanksgiving is one of the best holidays of the year. It’s a time where you get to gather with your friends, eat great food, and just relax.
And, as we all know, Thanksgiving is also a time to give thanks for everything that you have.
While going around and saying what you’re thankful for on Thanksgiving is a great place, we suggest taking things one step further.
A great way to celebrate Thanksgiving is to give to those who are less fortunate than you through volunteering
But, what sort of volunteering should you participate in?
Check out this guide to learn about the top Thanksgiving volunteer opportunities.
1. Volunteer With Meals on Wheels
Meals on Wheels is a volunteer organization that delivers meals to senior citizens who are homebound.
The delivery process takes under an hour. You can quickly provide someone with their holiday meal while still having plenty of time to get back home and enjoy your own.
2. Help Feed the Hungry
Did you know that one in seven children in the US worries about their next meal?
For a developed nation, this is an incredibly alarming statistic. And, when you consider the fact that Americans waste 30 to 40 percent of their food supply, the fact that there are hungry children at all is truly an injustice.
One of the best things you can do on Thanksgiving is to donate any extra food you have to a local food bank.
In addition to donating to a local food bank, we also suggest taking time to go through your closet and giving some of your belongings to a local clothing drive.
3. Go for a Run
The average person packs in 3000 calories on Thanksgiving.
One of the best ways to offset some of these extra calories is to go for a run. And, in the spirit of giving, why not make it a charity run?
Countless charity runs take place on Thanksgiving day for all sorts of causes. And, most of these runs take place in the morning, which leaves you plenty of time to enjoy your turkey.
To find the perfect turkey trot for your family, just do a quick Google search. If you live near or in a large city, chances are, you’ll have several to choose from.
4. Visit Someone in a Hospital or Nursing Home
Hospital patients who can’t be at home with their families on Thanksgiving would undoubtedly appreciate a friendly visit.
And, elderly people in nursing homes may not have family around they can go see.
Even just by offering someone your company for a couple of hours can really brighten their day.
5. Prison Book Program
Many people are wrongfully incarcerated or are incarcerated for petty offenses and, therefore, unable to spend Thanksgiving with their loved ones.
One way to help out those who are incarcerated is to volunteer through the Prison Book Program around Thanksgiving.
This is an organization that is committed to providing free books for prisoners. You can donate your own books to the organization, or you can act as a volunteer who responds to book requests and mails them out to prisons.
Also, if you have a family member who is in prison over Thanksgiving or needs legal help, we suggest getting in touch with Prentiss Law Office.
Thanksgiving Volunteer Opportunities: Are You Ready to Give Back?
Now that you know about these Thanksgiving volunteer opportunities, it’s time to choose which one is right for you.
Even just spending a few hours working with one of these organizations can make a world of difference in someone’s life.
And, if you liked this blog post, be sure to check back in for more articles like this one.