Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
person holding rectangular black wooden photo frame with Give. Thanks. print
person holding rectangular black wooden photo frame with Give. Thanks. print
Simon Maage/Unsplash

14 Ways to Give Back This Thanksgiving

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Agatha Kereere
Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Erin Appenzoller
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Emerson chapter.

There’s more to Turkey Day than stuffing our faces with food with family and friends, like thinking about those who won’t get to have that luxury. Here are 14 ways that you can others this Thanksgiving, include your nearest and dearests!

  1. Assess what your skills are and how you can use them for volunteer work: Love to cook? Love to build? Have a knack for garden work? Consider soup kitchens, construction opportunities, and planting, for example.
  2. Find volunteer opportunities around you and sign up for them: Check libraries, hospitals, shelters, places of worship, parks, etc.
  3. Invite your roommate[s], friend[s], or someone you’d like to get to know who you know won’t be able to spend time with family and invite them to spend Thanksgiving with you and your loved ones.
  4. Take some time to think about the people who have supported you and helped you to get to where you are today, and tell them how thankful you are
  5. Donate to charities
  6. Participate in a food drive
  7. Send care packages and cards to our troops
  8. Provide Thanksgiving dinners to elderly and sick people
  9. Spend time with patients in hospitals: Call the hospitals nearest to you and ask them if they have anything planned for their patients for Thanksgiving and if they know of a patient who would appreciate some company on that day.
  10. Join a charity run: Help others and work off the Turkey Day bulge. Win/win.
  11. Do something crazy and “Bowl a turkey” at the Kings bar and bowling alley located in Back Bay.
  12. Visit a local pantry and help stock food
  13. Find out if there is a Thanksgiving Day parade or celebration near you and offer to help
  14. Offer to help cook and clean Thanksgiving dinner: Who usually does it in your household? Either ask to take over food preparations or try to lighten the workload.

 

Links to organizations and opportunities are as follows:

 

 

 

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar
Her Campus Placeholder Avatar
Erin is now a senior at Emerson College in Boston, MA pursuing a degree in Print & Multimedia journalism. Originally from West Orange, New Jersey, Erin enjoys fashion, baking, hiking, traveling, and sharks. She is currently Co-Campus Correspondent of Emerson's Her Campus branch, and recently worked as an Editorial/Web Production intern and freelancer for Details.com at Conde Nast in New York City. Follow her on Twitter @appenzo.