Giving Thanks and Giving Back in Dallas: Volunteer Opportunities for Thanksgiving 2024
Thanksgiving is nearly here and we reflect on how grateful we are for the blessings in our lives. One way to show gratitude is through acts of kindness. As a nonprofit that focuses on equitable housing advocacy and developers of attainable and mixed-income housing, we know that during the holiday season, giving back to our community helps ensure that everyone has a reason to feel thankful this holiday season. Whether it’s serving meals, providing resources, or sharing your time, volunteering is a powerful way to make a difference.
Here are some opportunities to give back in Dallas this Thanksgiving 2024:
1. Serve Meals to Those in Need: Just as we share meals with our loved ones on Thanksgiving, serving a warm meal with someone in need an excellent way to give back during Thanksgiving.
The NTFB partners with local organizations to distribute holiday meals to families facing hunger. Volunteer to help sort, pack, or distribute meals ahead of Thanksgiving.
This organization provides meals to Dallas’ homeless population. Volunteers can assist with serving Thanksgiving meals or donating prepared dishes
Help serve Thanksgiving dinner to individuals and families at one of Dallas’s oldest missions. Volunteers can also assist with setting up and cleaning up.
2. Participate in Food Drives: Food drives help families stock their pantries during the holidays and are increasingly relied upon by lower and middle class families.
Tarrant Area Food Bank Holiday Food Drive
Volunteer to organize or contribute to food drives in your neighborhood, workplace, or school to support the food bank’s efforts.
Feed My Starving Children (FMSC)
This family-friendly opportunity allows volunteers to pack meals that are distributed locally and globally. Sign up for their Thanksgiving packing events.
3. Support Families in Need: Thanksgiving isn’t just about sharing a meal, it’s about creating a sense of home and togetherness for everyone. These oranizations support those in need of support at home.
Help organize or distribute donated items such as clothing, blankets, and hygiene products to families experiencing homelessness.
4. Run for a Cause: Kick off Thanksgiving morning with a heart-pumping tradition that also gives back to worthy local causes.
Lace up your sneakers for the annual Turkey Trot, which raises funds for the YMCA’s community programs. It’s a fun way to give while enjoying the holiday spirit with thousands of others.
5. Show Gratitude to Local Heroes: Thanksgiving is also a wonderful time to recognize first responders and those who work tirelessly to keep us safe.
Write Letters to First Responders
Gather your family to write thank-you notes for firefighters, police officers, and healthcare workers who serve the Dallas community year-round.
Donate Thanksgiving Treats
Drop off homemade or store-bought goodies at local fire stations, police precincts, or hospitals as a token of appreciation.
6. Help the Environment: Giving thanks can extend to the planet we call home. Consider volunteering for a park cleanup or tree-planting event.
Texas Trees Foundation Thanksgiving Planting Event
Spend the day planting trees and beautifying public spaces in Dallas, leaving a lasting legacy for future generations.
Thanksgiving traditions come in many forms, and so does volunteering. DCH hopes to embody the true spirit of the season through gratitude, generosity, and compassion. Whether you’re serving meals, organizing donations, or simply sharing a kind word, we’re thankful for the ways our community gives back and the individuals working to make it stronger. Join us in giving back this Thanksgiving—because when we come together, we all thrive.
Giving Tuesday is celebrated on Tuesdays following Thanksgiving in the United States, but it is more than a follow-up to Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It has become a symbol of global generosity and allows individuals, communities, and organizations to connect and support each other.