Top Community Service Ideas for Thanksgiving 2023
Thanksgiving is a special time of year when people gather to celebrate gratitude and the spirit of giving. For many companies, volunteering and community service events provide a chance to create team spirit and build camaraderie among personnel. With so many various opportunities to become involved, we'll look at some innovative and powerful volunteering and community service ideas for celebrating Thanksgiving with your team and employees. These ideas are intended to be enjoyable, engaging, and rewarding, making them ideal for celebrating the spirit of the season while simultaneously giving back to those in need.
10 Volunteering ideas for Thanksgiving
Here are some ideas to harness the power of holiday giving and make your company’s charitable efforts more impactful:
- Write Letters to Service Men & Women
Thanksgiving is a special time of year, and some of those who serve in the military may be far away from home. Make their Thanksgiving special by sending care packages that also include letters and photos appreciating their service.
- Volunteer With Food Programs
Serving food is another great volunteering idea for Thanksgiving. It’s the most straightforward way to make an impact. One can easily participate in Thanksgiving volunteer projects.
Serve hot meals at a soup kitchen, help grocery or produce bins at a food bank, or assemble food boxes for donation. As demand for a hot meal often eclipses supply, it's not uncommon for kitchens to happily welcome large groups—so gather your team, throw on some hairnets, and make a positive impact!
- Pack Hygiene Kits
Helping homeless people get better hygiene and helping those in need can be a great charity idea for Thanksgiving.
Your employees can sort and package hygiene items, clothing, and personal products for distribution across the city. This will allow them to reach people who would otherwise be unable to afford these necessities.
- Donate for Education
A large number of children live in poverty without access to quality education. Your employees can help these children access better schools, books, and other learning aid through donations.
Your employees can donate money or items at any time during the year. All items will be donated to local charities that provide necessary resources for children in need.
- Provide Tuition to Children
One-on-one or group tutoring is a great way to help children from low-income families recognize and achieve their full potential.
As a team, you can easily pick subjects and grades along with your preference as you see fit so that you don’t get lost in a sea of options.
- Donate your expertise
Donating your expertise is a great way to help others while also making a difference in the world.
You can lend your financial acumen for a couple of hours to an adult class. You and your team can help a charity design its website or you can use your technical knowledge to assist a nonprofit organization with setting up donation systems.
- Volunteer at the animal shelter
If you are looking for volunteering ideas for Thanksgiving, taking some time out and helping your nearest animal shelter can be the right option for you. This is a fun way to volunteer as a team. You can always call your local animal shelter and offer to play with the animals, go on a walk, or clean out their cages.
You can volunteer by taking pictures to post across social media to help animals get adopted and find the right match.
- Beach/Lake Cleanup
Show Mother Earth some love on Thanksgiving day! Spend a day outdoors with your team cleaning and keeping the trash away from water bodies. This can be a perfect community service idea for Thanksgiving morning.
Head outside to a stream, lake, or beach that could use some cleaning up.
- Visit a Nursing Home
Visiting a nursing home with your team can be a good way to show that you care. Can be a great way to show that you are willing to make an effort for the people who live in the nursing home.
Make thoughtful cards and crafts for the residents and spend some time talking to them. This old-fashioned kindness goes a long way.
- Match Donations
Spreading goodness is simple, it doesn’t take up a lot of your time or money. Just by following simple steps like engaging with your team and asking them about the causes that matter to them the most. Further, nudge them to donate to those specific communities and promise to match their donation amounts to motivate them.
This Thanksgiving, step into the Goodera experience. Plan Thanksgiving activities by choosing from over 10k+ activities in cause areas like hunger action, veteran support, mental health, and 50 more. Goodera hosts events in various formats, including remote, in-office, outdoor, and globally in over 100 countries and over 20 languages. Join us in making a difference by volunteering today.
