No other holiday like Thanksgiving can bring people together and remind us of everything in our life for which we have reason to be thankful. Volunteering in your community is the most effective method for getting into the holiday mood. You can contribute to your community during the Thanksgiving holiday at your neighborhood food bank or food pantry by:
- Preparing Thanksgiving meals by sorting and packing the food that was donated.
- Assisting families while shopping at the food bank or visiting the food pantry.
- Helping people who are elderly, disabled, or have health concerns by delivering their meals.
- Volunteering at a soup kitchen.
Even though Thanksgiving can be a wonderful time of year for families to celebrate their loved ones and concentrate on their prosperity, it also can be a source of emotional anguish for those who are less well-off. Because of this, numerous charitable organizations in Boise make it a top priority to give over the winter holidays.
What it’s Like to Help Out At a Food Bank as a Volunteer
Every time someone volunteers, they have a somewhat different experience. As a volunteer, you might consider doing some of the following things:
- Organize and pack the food: You can keep the shelves supplied by putting together food baskets that will be distributed to customers.
- Assist with mobile pantries, drive-thru pantries and no-contact distributions: Give your neighbors a hand so they can provide for their families.
- You can help guarantee that our most vulnerable neighbors have the food they need to keep safe while sheltering in place by delivering meals. Many communities have taken refuge in place, and you can contribute to this effort.
- Help tend the community garden maintained by the food bank or food pantry.
- Donate your time while sitting in your pajamas: Some food banks have transferred their volunteer shifts to an online platform and are now seeking volunteers to assist with fundraising or to create awareness of the organization.
Consider lending your support to the important organizations listed below by either volunteering or making a financial contribution.
Volunteers entirely run the Southwest Idaho Chapter of St. Vincent de Paul. Every year, thanks to the efforts of hundreds of devoted volunteers, you can assist tens of thousands of individuals who are in need. For the past 46 years, the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul has been assisting less fortunate individuals through a Thanksgiving food box outreach program. This is an act of charity performed by one family for another. You, along with your family, have the opportunity to extend the Thanksgiving holiday to help those who are less fortunate.
A Thanksgiving meal for four to six people can be prepared with ingredients in a food box. This includes a turkey weighing at least 10 pounds, 10 pounds of potatoes, a roasting pan and all the fixings. Those who want to make their own Thanksgiving food box can use the shopping list at St. Vincent de Paul as a guide. The box will be given to a family in need.
The Idaho Food Bank provides an opportunity to work in their warehouse. During volunteer shifts in the warehouse, you can do the following tasks:-
- Repacking bulk food into portions suitable for a family
- Sorting dry food from food drives
- Labeling food products
- Constructing backpacks for one of the child nutrition programs
- Constructing supplemental food boxes for one of the senior nutrition programs
At Meals on Wheels, more than 1,500 hot, nourishing meals are delivered and served throughout Ada County each weekday by Metro Boise with the assistance of hundreds of volunteers. On weekends, an additional 850 frozen meals are provided. Volunteer options include delivering meals during lunchtime and aiding with food preparation and packaging. Other activities are available as well.
Thanksgiving is a great opportunity to help others, and it can even become a tradition in your own family. Volunteering your time to help those less fortunate throughout November is the best way to bring holiday cheer to other families.
As you can tell by the volunteer opportunities in the area, Boise is a wonderful place to call home. If you are interested in Boise real estate, contact us today!