Step-by-Step Guide to Volunteering in New York City on Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving 2010 | Fortune Society staff volunteers and family at The Bowery Mission, NYC - FortuneSociety.org Bowery.org - bowery-0092
Thanksgiving 2010 | Fortune Society staff volunteers and family at The Bowery Mission, NYC - FortuneSociety.org Bowery.org - bowery-0092
Photo: jvdalton

Here is our simple step-by-step guide to volunteering on Thanksgiving Day in New York City:

  1. Don't volunteer on Thanksgiving Day.
  2. Volunteer on literally any other day of the year.

That's it! Really simple! While your heart may be in the right place, 10-20 times more people volunteer on Thanksgiving Day versus any other day. Kitchens and shelters often have to turn volunteers away because there is not enough work or room to support every one who wants to help.

Ask yourself whether or not you are volunteering to make yourself feel good about doing it, or to really make a difference by providing a service to those in need. If the answer is the latter, you can make a bigger difference volunteering on any of the 364 other days where the help is needed most.

Head to NYC Service to learn more about how you can get involved in New York City volunteer service year round.

Originally published on November 23rd, 2016

Matt Coneybeare

Matt Coneybeare

Editor in Chief

Matt enjoys exploring the City's with his partner and son. He is an avid marathon runner, and spends most of his time eating, running, and working on cool stuff.

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