With Pumpkin Season almost here, now’s a great time to brainstorm group Thanksgiving volunteer opportunities! There’s no shortage of places to send donations or lend extra pairs of hands on this holiday, from sitting with lonely seniors to serving meals at soup kitchens.
If your team isn’t sure where to volunteer for Thanksgiving, keep reading for ideas to give back to the community in 2022.
6 Ideas for Group Volunteering on Thanksgiving
Here are SIX super fun ideas your team can bond over this Thanksgiving season. The best part about them is there’s something everyone can participate in, whether your group is working remotely or making the magic happen onsite!
Help in Homeless Shelters
Feeding the homeless or finding other ways to volunteer in homeless shelters on Thanksgiving is a great start. This can include cleaning up rooms and courtyards, repairing broken furniture, helping residents develop skills, or simply providing company to lonely people.
Sadly, homelessness is a never-ending issue within our communities; when it comes to corporate volunteering ideas for Thanksgiving, homeless shelters are pretty much a no-brainer.
Volunteer With a Food Program
Serving in soup kitchens is another perfect volunteering idea for Thanksgiving. As demand for a hot meal often eclipses supply, it’s not uncommon for soup kitchens to gladly welcome large groups, so gather your team, throw on some hairnets, and grab up some ladles!
Or, if your team is all over the place and can’t volunteer together in a soup kitchen, we recommend organizing a Virtual Food Drive to gather nutritious meals for those facing food insecurity.
Assemble Care Packages
While bringing everyone together is a lot of fun, it’s sometimes challenging to find Thanksgiving Day volunteering opportunities for huge groups! If it’s hard to pin everyone down at the same time for hands-on work in an external organization, consider hosting a fundraiser and having a few team representatives deliver the items to their destinations on Thanksgiving Day.
During the coming weeks, your team can work in shifts to collect clothes, toys, or sanitary items then assemble them into care kits for charities within your local community!
Serve the Young
People often think that young people have no REAL problems because, well – they’re young. But issues like food insecurity and homelessness impact all kinds of people in our communities, including the youth. Supporting kids and adolescents is such a worthy cause, so consider if working with organizations like Larkin Youth Services is the right Thanksgiving volunteering opportunity for your company this year.
Note that while on-site volunteering at this particular organization is currently on hold, there are still plenty of ways to lend a hand. For instance, your team can assemble care packages, donate monetary amounts, and learn more about youth homelessness for greater general awareness. And, of course, don’t be shy about looking up other youth centres near you that need on-hands help during Thanksgiving week!
Regard the Aged
Volunteering in homes on Thanksgiving Day is a valuable gesture, as holidays are often incredibly lonely for older people with no family. Your team can assist residents with their daily activities, visit and play games, or even volunteer to cook Thanksgiving dinner. The opportunities to add value to a senior home are endless!
Your company can also work with Meals-on-Wheels organizations dedicated to delivering meals to seniors in their homes. Many seniors don’t want to live in senior homes, so this service allows them to continue living independently.
Gift the Gift of Free Career Guidance
While this isn’t your typical Thanksgiving volunteering opportunity, your team can still use this idea to make a massive difference in people’s lives during Thanksgiving week! By sponsoring a Virtual Career-Focused Workshop, you can appoint team members who specialize in various fields to share their experience with people seeking insight.
Helping gain career clarity is such a fantastic gift!
There’s No Shortage of Places to Volunteer on Thanksgiving Day!
Charitable organizations are constantly recruiting volunteers for holidays like Thanksgiving, so there are many options for your company to help your community. Which Thanksgiving volunteer opportunities will your team explore? Let us know in the comments!