- Nov 12, 2019
- 3 min read

12 Charitable Ways to Show Gratitude on Thanksgiving

Updated: Nov 17, 2019

How do you express gratitude on Thanksgiving?

Show your gratitude by sharing what you have with others who are less fortunate.

Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for all the wonderful things we have. We might give a little toast to express this or do an "I'm thankful for" challenge on social media - but for many of us that's as far as it goes. It's not that we're not grateful for what we have, it's that we don't have the time to sit back and reflect and express it thoroughly during this busy holiday. With all the cooking and planning and traveling - it just gets so hectic. Check out these 12 activities to do if you'd like to express your gratitude for your blessings in a more meaningful way than awkwardly muttering what you're thankful for at the dinner table.

BEFORE THANKSGIVING.

1. Participate in (or host) a food drive for your local food pantry. If you need help and want to gather a ton of food, present the idea to your boss at work or to members of a club or organization you belong to so they can help.

2. Donate your unwanted clothes, toys, furniture, and other items to a charity shop. Thrift shops need extra merchandise during the holidays to support the high traffic Christmas shopping brings, so I'm sure they'll be more than happy to take your donations.

3. Send care packages to soldiers overseas. Be sure to include a Thanksgiving card, a photo of your family, or even a cute little drawing or craft done by your child. Can't go wrong with a classic hand-turkey! Click HERE to see what else to include and where to mail the package.

4. Order groceries to be delivered to a family in need or buy them yourself and drop them off to avoid delivery fees.

5. Have a Thanksgiving bake sale and donate the money to a local Charity. People don't mind charities and people love Thanksgiving shortcuts so this one is a total win.

ON THANKSGIVING

6. Organize a group to go sing at a nursing home. If you're in a choir, you're already halfway there. You don't need a large group, a trio will suffice. Many elderly people are Christians, so old traditional hymns would be great for them to hear and sing along to.

7. Give out care-packages to homeless people on the street. Not sure how to make one? Click HERE to see what to include. By the way, socks and underwear are what homeless people need the most but those items often get overlooked while donating.

8. Volunteer at a soup kitchen or any free Thanksgiving meal event.

9. Participate in a Thanksgiving 5K. They're often called "Turkey Trots" and are held to raise money for a local charity. I'm sure there will be one going on somewhere near you on or before Thanksgiving.

10. Invite a person or family to join you for Thanksgiving dinner. Think of someone from your job, school or favorite hang out spot who might need a little extra love during the holidays.

11. Bake cookies, a large cake or make goody bags for law enforcement and other community servicemen working on Thanksgiving. Just simply deliver the items to their station at any time.

12. Dining out on Thanksgiving? Pay for someone's meal who is dining alone. Just ask your server for their bill and inform him/her that you'd like to cover the cost. It's perfectly ok to ask to remain anonymous!