What did the turkey say to the farmer? Why isn’t there anything on my calendar after November?
Welcome to Thanksgiving – the 2025 edition!
“Is that your pop-up timer or are you just happy to see me?”
Below are links and suggestions to assist you with helping others during this holiday season:
https://www.feedingamerica.org/find-your-local-foodbank
Volunteering around the holidays has gotten so popular that some organizations fill their volunteer slots within hours or days after making sign-ups open to the public. That means, if you want to add a little extra meaning to your life this month and next, there are ample holiday volunteering opportunities for you to explore.
If you are interested in donated items, it’s important to check with service providers in your area about what they need. After all, you don’t want to saddle a nonprofit organization with dozens of cans of green beans if their food shelves are fully stocked and what they most need are toiletries.
If you cannot easily find a list of requested items, call the organization and ask. Also, be sure to check in on how they would prefer the donated items be packaged and delivered, if they have set hours for drop-offs, and if they can arrange a pickup for larger donations.
Contact local hospitals, assisted living facilities, and nursing homes to find out about potential opportunities. One easy thing you may be able to do is make holiday cards that they can distribute to residents.
(And now a brief interruption for another fowl attempt at humor) –
“What kind of turkey requires ID?” “Wild Turkey.”
Check with local houses of worship to see if they have a home visiting program for members of the congregation who are sick or homebound.
Ask your county or city department of aging about holiday volunteer opportunities.
Search for a local aging nonprofit organization on the National Association of Area Agencies, on the Aging website (you can search by city and state or by ZIP code), and ask them about volunteering opportunities.
Donate grocery or big-box store gift cards or public transit passes to an organization that works with struggling families.
Participate in Operation Santa, a program run by the U.S. Postal Service that allows individuals or organizations to “adopt” letters that children have written to Santa Claus and fulfill their Christmas wishes.
Contact a family homeless shelter in your community to find out if they have a sponsor-a-family program where you can buy gifts that are on the kids’ wish lists. If sponsoring a whole family is out of your budget, you can team up with friends or coworkers.
Another activity that is best done with a group is Shoes That Fit. Using their welcome packet, you can gather a group of friends or coworkers and pair up with a local school to purchase shoes for students.
The needs in your community will not go away after the holidays, but volunteer interest often fades come January. That is why one of the most impactful things you can do is to keep volunteering after the holidays.
If you are able to make a longer commitment, you can become a regular volunteer with one of the organizations you connected with during the season.
Continue checking with local service providers every month or every quarter about items they need, throughout the year. You can talk with your employer about starting a quarterly drive based on what local organizations require.
Filling brown paper bags with an assortment of toiletries and snacks and handing them out to people in need who you may encounter along your commute is easy to do.
If you want to take a big step toward instilling a culture of volunteering at your office, ask if your organization would offer paid volunteer time as an employee benefit. They will not be able to make the change overnight, but the first step is for someone to make the ask.
Please remember, gratitude can transform the most common day into a joyful harvest.
So, be grateful, go get busy, & …
“Why did the turkey stand on stilts?” “Because nobody eats flamingoes for Thanksgiving dinner.”
Did You Know? Only male turkeys make the well-known “gobble, gobble” sound that has come to be associated with the holiday. In fact, male turkeys are even known as “gobblers.” Females make other noises, such as purring and cackling.
THANK YOU ———For so much valuable information and a reminder of how so many need assistance Especially this year–Its my favorite holiday and I do believe in the proverb Giving is better then receiving ———-and by doing so reminds us how grateful we are forall our blessings ——I look forward to the Pear Tree Blog every wed—-and Wish you all a very HAPPY and Healthy THANKSGINIG ———–