Thanksgiving is a time where we are supposed to reflect on our lives and be thankful for the people and things we have in them. Many of us are lucky enough to have luxuries in our lives that others could only dream of having. This is why Thanksgiving is an excellent time to give back to your community.
Below I’ve compiled a list of 5 great ways to give back this Thanksgiving in your local community.
1. Donate to your local Food Bank
Do this early enough before thanksgiving – and you’re sure to bring smiles to peoples faces. I know growing up occasionally we’d volunteer before Thanksgiving in the Food Bank (which you can too!) They’d make specialty bags of food for the Thanksgiving holiday. Families would be actually able to receive a little bit extra food for the holidays, and sometimes a little extra can go a long way!
2. Volunteer at your local homeless shelter
A lot of shelters do special Thanksgiving events where you can either donate food or donate your time. This is a lovely way to give back to the community and to share a Thanksgiving dinner (or lunch) with those in your community that you might not know!
3. Run a Turkey Trot!
Many times you can find a local Turkey Trot race that donates it’s profits to charities. These runs can be anywhere from a mile to possibly even a marathon, and are held either on or right around Thanksgiving. If you’re into running races, or even just walking them, find one that donates it’s profits to charities! You might even get a cool medal or T-shirt out of it.
4. Visit a Retirement home.
Thanksgiving is a big family holiday. If you have the time, take a trip to your local retirement home. A lot of times the residence don’t get to spend Thanksgiving with family because of distance. You’re company could help ease any loneliness they might be feeling, and you can help spread the holiday cheer!
5. Participate in Rucksgiving
This is a new idea that the Obstacle Course Race World Championships is trying to make a tradition. The idea behind it is you fill a backpack, or ruck, with either leftovers or sandwiches or whatever you plan on distributing to those in need. With a group or team, you ruck (walk, run, however you want to move) across your city – distributing the food to people in your city.
I personally fell in love with this idea and have decided to host one in my city of Tampa, Florida. You can sign up for my event, learn more about these events, and sign up for one by visiting the OCR World Championship’s website.
Have a Fabulous Thanksgiving!
What are you doing to give back this Thanksgiving? Please scroll down and leave your answer in the comments below!
This post was written by Lauren Youngerman, a student at the University of South Florida studying international business with a focus on Spanish and Info Systems.
She is a member of her school’s sailing team, and also works as a sailing coach at a nearby club.
Lauren is an adventure seeker who has had the opportunity to live abroad in both Brazil and Nicaragua, as well as to being a part of the U.S. Army.
Currently completing a social media internship for VentureTime Travel, Lauren seeks a career in marketing after graduation. Learn more about Lauren’s work experience via her LinkedIn profile.