Volunteering for the holidays

[tcrum]

I was wondering if anyone knew of where I could volunteer on Thanksgiving and X-mas eve/day. I'm really not "into" the holidays...I'm not exactly fond of my family and since I'm an atheist X-mas is pretty meaningless. Also, I'm becoming vegan so that makes things awkward and I get all kinds of nasty comments about it. So I was thinking it would just be easier and more enjoyable if I just avoided all that and spent my time volunteering at someplace like a soup kitchen or something. (I'm in Iowa BTW). Yes I googled...but haven't been able to come up w/anything.

Any ideas or anyone doing something similar?

[cowgirrlup]

I was wondering if anyone knew of where I could volunteer on Thanksgiving and X-mas eve/day. I'm really not "into" the holidays...I'm not exactly fond of my family and since I'm an atheist X-mas is pretty meaningless. Also, I'm becoming vegan so that makes things awkward and I get all kinds of nasty comments about it. So I was thinking it would just be easier and more enjoyable if I just avoided all that and spent my time volunteering at someplace like a soup kitchen or something. (I'm in Iowa BTW). Yes I googled...but haven't been able to come up w/anything.

Any ideas or anyone doing something similar?

The Salvation Army always does a huge Thanksgiving & Christmas dinner...you can also check with local churches.

I have volunteered at the Salvation Army dinners and really enjoyed it.

Check with the local Chamber of Commerce if you can;t find anything. They usually can steer you in the right direction.

[jenni-anti-fur]

The Salvation Army always does a huge Thanksgiving & Christmas dinner...you can also check with local churches.

I have volunteered at the Salvation Army dinners and really enjoyed it.

Check with the local Chamber of Commerce if you can;t find anything. They usually can steer you in the right direction.

Thats what I was gonna suggest too...The Salvation Army...I have volunteered and enjoyed it also...I have done it locally too at food banks and hospitals womens shelters/animal shelters...ect...but they can put you in touch with the right people.

[DgyJff]

I'm curious what are people's opinions about volunteering at a soup kitchen? I'm wanting to volunteer as much as I can over the Christmas season and am not sure how I feel about serving non-veg*n food. Certainly I'd rather not, but I don't want to refuse to help a needy person either.

[FitChick99]

I'm curious what are people's opinions about volunteering at a soup kitchen? I'm wanting to volunteer as much as I can over the Christmas season and am not sure how I feel about serving non-veg*n food. Certainly I'd rather not, but I don't want to refuse to help a needy person either.

Well, chances are that you're not going to find a soup kitchen that is veg*n, so I guess you have to decide what is more important to you--serving food to people that need it, or NOT serving animals as food.
You could do something else, like shop for a family for Christmas. Lots of churches have things like that, either where you buy one item for a person, or you could get together with a group to buy for the family, or, some places collect money from a bunch of people, and then you could go buy for the whole family. Those presents would most likely be things like clothes, outerwear, and toys.
Or aren't there a lot of groups that do shoes and coats for kids? I know UPS by me is doing an event for that.

[sarahjayn1980]

a lot of organizations will appreciate soup kitchen volunteers, but don't forget about the food bank! people are in need to check expiry dates, sort, and box food. that's done before the holiday, usually.

[*AHIMSA*]

I volunteer all year long, usually a minimum of 10 hours a week.

I volunteer with a local group that puts food packages together for homebound people living with HIV/AIDS and also for "Dress for Success" an organization which helps women get what they need to be successful at job interviews (clothing, accessories and skills alike).

My suggestion for volunteering is to not just do it during the holidays. :)

[greensgood]

check out your local craigslist.org page
there is a volunteer category in the community section. it also might be a good idea to post that you are a willing volunteer on craigslist for anyone looking for an extra hand with events and such.

[fadeaway1289]

Check and see if you have a Food Not Bombs in your area. They cook all vegetarian and vegan meals. http://www.foodnotbombs.net/