3 Ways to Give Back on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is that time of year where we gather with our family and give thanks to everyone for the year’s blessings. One fantastic way to show your thanks to your community is by giving back with your time or services. The holiday season features a ton of special charity and fundraising events, and we have pulled the best Thanksgiving-themed activities for your philanthropic needs within San Diego.

Thanksgiving Turkey Trot

One fun way to give back to the community is by participating in this year's 10th annual Pacific Marine Credit Union Turkey Trot. With a $45 donation, you can become a part of the festivities. The annual Turkey Trot is held at the Oceanside Civic Center on Thanksgiving morning. The Turkey Trot is more than just a running event; people wear costumes and wristbands to keep the event light and encourage the holiday spirit. The course travels downhill and finishes at the Pier. Those who do not want to run or walk can still participate by dressing up for the costume contest and enjoy the live entertainment on the course. 

Managed by Kathy Kinane, president of  Kinane Events, the Turkey Trot has raised more than $200,000 for local schools and nonprofits in the last nine years. If donating financially is unfeasible for you this year, you can still donate your time by volunteering to work a shift at the event. Contact volunteers@kinaneevnts.com for more information. Visit http://www.osideturkeytrot.com/ to learn more about the Turkey Trot.

San Diego Food Banks

Another way to give back is to volunteer at your local food bank. The San Diego Food Bank loves volunteers to help at their warehouse, food distribution sites, and food bank events. This Thanksgiving, you can volunteer for the day, and you can even keep coming back and volunteering throughout the year. There are no set time commitments or necessary training. 

It is easy to volunteer at the Food Bank; simply sign up for a shift online and upon arrival, check in at one of the volunteer kiosks. Each shift lasts about three hours and can include tasks such as cleaning and packing produce for distribution, boxing and labeling food, or assembling food packages for various food programs. This is a great way to help all of the needy families in the county who are not fortunate enough to have food for the holidays. For more information, check out http://sandiegofoodbank.org

A UCSD International Students Thanksgiving Dinner

If you are open to sharing your home and would like to make some new friends, you can participate in the Share your Thanksgiving event with the UCSD International students for their English in Action program. The University of California at San Diego’s international center is hosting their fifth annual Thanksgiving exchange program that gives international students the opportunity to potentially celebrate Thanksgiving day with a host family that resides in the San Diego area. The center is requesting families to invite two or more international students into their home to share their meal and provide a true American cultural experience. 

If you are interested in helping these students out, you can fill out an online application and the center will email you the names of the student guests and help arrange transportation for them. The dinner does not have to be on Thanksgiving day; most students are open to celebrating Thanksgiving on a different day of this week if that is when the host family can provide the holiday experience for them. Click Here To Fill Out Form

[Updated 11/1/2017]