Though Thanksgiving oftentimes looks like a fine turkey feast amid friends and family, this special holiday is, at its core, about community.
There's no better way to celebrate this day of gratitude than to share a moment of kindness with other people.
Volunteering is a wonderful way to help both neighbours and strangers. Giving back can involve serving and preparing warm meals, but you can also give kind donations and utilize your skills to help organizations with content creation, web design, outreach, and such.
If you're looking for an opportunity or an organization with which to give back this upcoming Thanksgiving, here are some in Vancouver.
The Salvation Army Thanksgiving Turkey Event
Each year, this organization partners with the Vancouver Canadians to provide turkeys to neighbours around Thanksgiving. Volunteers are welcome.
Vancouver Dream Centre Thanksgiving Dinner
This annual dinner is for individuals who are disabled, homeless, or with HIV or AIDS. The Thanksgiving dinner will feed around 400 people a day prior to the holiday with the help of volunteers.
Vancouver Harbour Light
Either as a holiday volunteer or a regular volunteer, those interested can help out through volunteer opportunities such as at the Learning Centre.
Meals on Wheels
This meal delivery program helps provide isolated residents in the Vancouver, Richmond, and North Shore areas with hot meals and checks on their safety every weekday. Volunteers can help deliver meals by car or bike, bring meals in batches to various depots as a courier, or assist with dispatching meals and cleaning meal bags at the depots.
FSGV Kitchen Volunteer
This evening volunteer position helps operate a soup kitchen in a youth resource centre that feeds homeless youth in Vancouver's Downtown South as part of the Dusk to Dawn meal program.
Downtown Eastside Women's Centre
Volunteers who self-identify as cis, transgender, or Two Spirit women over the age of 18 can help with programming, kitchen and emergency shelter services, among other volunteer opportunities.
Vancouver Hospice Society
Although the hospice isn't accepting volunteers at the moment, there are still opportunities to volunteer at their thrift shop.
The Door Is Open
This drop-in ministry provides a daily meal for those in need as well as clothing, counselling, and shelter services in the Downtown Eastside. Volunteers are welcome!
Soup Kitchens and Shelters
- Guru Nanak's Free Kitchen
- The Dugout
- Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood House
- Aboriginal Front Door
- Lotus Light Charity Society
- Belkin House
- Lookout Society
- The Bloom Group
- Raincity Housing
- A Better Life Foundation
Where to donate
Don't have time to volunteer in person? That's okay, the gift of giving has no limits and a simple donation can make just as big of a difference. Here are a few organizations around Vancouver that are a good place to start.
BC Thanksgiving Food Drive
This annual food drive event collects food for food banks all over the province. Donations help provide food for British Columbians in need.
Atira Women's Resource Society
From funds and gift cards to clothes and household items, these donations will go towards women in need, whether it's a hot meal and shelter, or childcare and support services.
WISH
Donations to go towards helping women involved in Vancouver's street-based sex trade through hot meals, clothing and makeup, showers and shelters, and more.
Union Gospel Mission
There are many ways to help out with this nonprofit, from donations to fundraising.
Covenant House
There are many ways to donate here, including non-cash donations such as cryptocurrency and vehicles, among others.
