Volunteer In Brooklyn For Thanksgiving: A Patch Holiday Guide

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK -- There's more than one way to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal. You can eat one, you can cook one, or you could help the people who really need one.

Volunteering on Thanksgiving Day is a tradition as sacred in New York City as watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade or ordering Nepalese take-out, apparently, which means there are tons of ways to show thanks that don't involve you belching.

For those enlightened Brooklynites who put the emphasis on giving, and not on "Thanks for the third piece of sweet potato ricotta cheese cake, Nanna," Patch has rounded up a list of places that need volunteers this holiday week.

Here's where to go do some good:

Serving Good Daily

What: Hand-delivering a nourishing meal to Brooklyn's homebound elderly.

Where: Across Brooklyn

When: Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Potluck At PS 557K

What: Come help New York Cares and Help Brooklyn Gardens Elementary School serve up an early Thanksgiving dinner for the kids and their families

Where: Brooklyn Gardens Elementary School at 574 Dumont Ave.

When: Tuesday, Nov. 20 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

CAMBA Fall Food Drive

What: Drop off nonperishable food (think canned and pre-packaged) at CAMBA food pantry sites across the borough.

Where: CAMBA is accepting food donations at these outposts:

• 1720 Church Ave., 2nd Floor, in Prospect Park South
• 21 Snyder Ave. in Flatbush
• 885 Flatbush Ave., Room 202, in Prospect Park South
• 19 Winthrop St. in Prospect Lefferts Gardens
• Park Slope Women’s Shelter at 1402 8th Ave. in Park Slope

When: Food drive runs from Oct. 1 until Nov. 30

Friendsgiving Fundraiser

What: Host a Friendsgiving fundraiser, or donate to one, to raise money for this nonprofit that helps implement breakfast programs in schools, summer and after school meal programs.

Where: Your house.

When: Whenever you like.

Masbia Soup Kitchen

What: Help provide a nutritious kosher meal at these Brooklyn soup kitchens.

Where: Masbia of Flatbush at 1372 Coney Island Ave. and Masbia of Boro Park at 5402 New Utrecht Ave.

When: Sign up for volunteering details.

Greenpoint Hunger Program

What: Help the Greenpoint Reformed Church provide holiday meals to hungry New Yorkers at its soup kitchen and food pantry.

Where: 136 Milton St. in Greenpoint

When: Wednesday and Thursday evenings

Bed-Stuy Campaign Against Hunger

What: You can either volunteer at one of their urban farms or donate to Project Turkey 2018 which brings fresh turkeys to people who need them.

Where: 2004 Fulton St. in Bed-Stuy

When: When you can.

Not finding what you're looking for? Check out these directories of Brooklyn food pantry or soup kitchen for possible volunteer options near you.

Know about a great event that needs volunteers? Email suggestions to Kathleen.Culliton@patch.com.

Grace McDermott, a volunteer, serves Thanksgiving meals at the New York City Rescue Mission on November 23, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images)