As Thanksgiving approaches, there are many ways for Brooklyn families to give back locally, whether delivering meals, planting or raking leaves in our public parks, baking a pie, stocking a food pantry, or serving a Thanksgiving dinner to refugee families.
Plant and Clean Up at Cadman Park | Brooklyn Heights
Sunday, November 10 | 10am-12pm
Bring the whole family and help take care of our neighborhood park! Volunteers will mulch, clean up, rake, and plant to make sure the park is in great shape before winter settles in. Meet at the Juneteenth Grove, between the circle planter and the athletic field.
Care for Trees and Plant Bulbs on the Gowanus Canal | Gowanus
Monday, November 11 | 10am-1pm | 10+ | Sign up here
Join the Gowanus Canal Conservancy for their Day of Service. Youth 10 and up are encouraged to sign up! Anyone under the age of 14 needs an adult with them. Volunteers will steward trees and plant bulbs at Gowanus Houses. The group will also focus on litter removal, weeding, and adding compost and mulch to tree beds. More information here.
Rake Leaves | Fort Greene Park
Saturday, November 16 & Saturday, December 14 | 10am-12pm | Register here | Fort Greene
It’s that time again! Fall is upon us, and with it all of the leaves! Join Fort Greene Park for one of their annual leaf raking events, Leaf No Trace, to collect leaves en masse. Leaves will be bagged and stored in a leaf corral in the park where they will be allowed to slowly break down over the winter and early Spring months to turn into a nutrient-rich leaf mould. Leaf mould, similar to compost, is a nutrient-rich soil amendment that provides the park’s trees with several benefits. Sign up to volunteer!
Clean Up Trash and Care for Trees | Park Slope
Join The Park Slope Civic Council for their annual Fall Civic Sweep. In addition to trash pickup around Park Slope, they will be offering Tree Care education, provided by Big Reuse. Sign up to volunteer here, or just stop by during the sweep hours, 10am-2pm.
During the event, Park Slope Civic Council will also be accepting donations of warm clothes and coats for newly arrived men, women, and children at the Hall Street Shelter. More details below.
Care for Trees and Plant Daffodils | Greenpoint
Sunday, November 17 | 10-11am | All ages | RSVP here
Help clean up McCarren Park, mulch the park’s tree beds, sweep leaves, and plant daffodils for the spring! All are welcome for McCarren Cleanup Day. Meet at the McCarren Park House.
Sunday, November 17 | 10-11am | All ages
The Service Collective is organizing a neighborhood clean-up! Come together with friends and neighbors to pitch in and ensure our community is clean for all to enjoy. We will meet at the corner of Remsen Street and Clinton Street in Brooklyn Heights and clean several designated square blocks together. Clean up supplies will be included!
Rake Leaves and Pick up Litter | Prospect Park
Sunday, November 17 | 1-3pm | All ages | Register as a family or register as a group
Join the Junior Volunteer Corps for fall family fun in November! Volunteers will rake leaves, and tackle litter in Prospect Park. Come learn the value of service and meet other families and children on this day of giving back. Open to families and youth groups!
Host and Serve a Thanksgiving Dinner for New Neighbors | Brooklyn Heights
Wednesday, November 20 | 6:00-8:15pm | Best for 10+ | Sign up here
Join The Service Collective for their monthly community dinner for newly arrive refugees at St. Ann’s Church in Brooklyn Heights! This month’s meal will be special, as it will be our new neighbors’ first Thanksgiving in America! Tasks will include light cooking, cleaning, serving, helping to make everyone feel at home, and more. All ages are welcome, but 10+ is most appropriate.
Donate a Turkey and Deliver Meals | Fort Greene & Clinton Hill
Donate here | Turkey Distribution Day on Saturday, November 23, sign up to volunteer here
This year, One Community’s Fresh Pantries Team will distribute over 1,600 turkeys to families in need in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill! Just $20 gives a family a beautiful Thanksgiving. Donate $20 for a Turkey and Holiday Sides for 1 Family, $80 for Holiday Cheer for 4 Families, or $120 for A Delicious Holiday Meal for 6 Families! Every contribution, no matter the size, helps reach more families in need. You can also join their team of over 100 volunteers and staff in making a difference on November 23rd for their annual Turkey Distribution Day; sign up here!
Rake Leaves and Plant Bulbs | Cobble Hill Park
Saturday, November 23 | 9-11am | All ages | RSVP to [email protected]
During the last volunteer maintenance event of the fall, volunteers in Cobble Hill Park will plant bulbs and rake leaves. It’s a fun way to meet some neighbors and contribute to a community space that brings joy to so many! Please RSVP if you plan to attend.
Pack a Neighborhood Pantry | Brooklyn Heights
Saturday, November 23 | 9:30-11:30am | Ages 10+ | Sign up here
The Service Collective will be supporting the residents who are transitioning out of homelessness at 90 Sands Street with pantry essentials for the Thanksgiving holiday. Come to St. Ann’s Church in Brooklyn Heights to pack 350 pantry bags and join the pantry parade! We will walk over to hand deliver to our neighbors.
Create Art for Thanksgiving Meal Delivery Bags | Brooklyn Heights
Saturday, November 23 | 3-5pm | All ages | Sign up here
The Service Collective will once again partner with Heights & Hills to decorate 250+ meal bags that will be delivered to local homebound seniors. This project is open to all ages, and is great way for Brooklyn families to volunteer together around! Each volunteer will design 3-5 bags and bag tags. The theme of this year’s communal art project is “Community,” and there will be a gallery wall of bags created in advance by local artists, youth from the boys and girls club, and kindergartners as inspiration. There will even be a DJ spinning live music for volunteers to enjoy!
Donate a Homemade Thanksgiving Pie | Downtown Brooklyn
The Service Collective has set a goal to donate 100 pies to local Brooklyn organizations. Bake a Thanksgiving pie at home and choose from one of the options below. Make sure to tell the organization that you are from The Service Collective!
- Next Step Community Church | 360 Schermerhorn Street | Downtown Brooklyn
Tuesday, November 26 & Wednesday, November 27 | Drop off from 9am-8pm | No sign up required
Support the hundreds of neighbors with disabilities and experiencing homelessness or food insecurity who will dine at Next Step on Thanksgiving Day. - Heights and Hills | 81 Willoughby Street
Wednesday, November 27 | Drop off from 12-4pm | Sign up to drop off
Support homebound seniors this holiday season by donating a Thanksgiving pie!
Deliver Meals on Thanksgiving Morning | Sunset Park, Bed Stuy & Windsor Terrace
Thursday, November 28 | 9:30-11:30am & 10am-12pm | All ages | Sign up here
Every Thanksgiving, volunteers with God’s Love We Deliver bring festive Thanksgiving meals and gift totes to homebound clients. Families who have their own vehicle can sign up to deliver meals to clients, typically 6-8 households. On Thanksgiving morning, volunteers will pick up meals from Brooklyn distribution centers and drive to various homes to deliver them. You can sign up to pick up at either 9:30 or 10am:
- Bed Stuy | Concord Baptist Church | 833 Gardner C. Taylor Boulevard | Sign up for 9:30am or 10am start
- Windsor Terrace | Holy Apostles Church | 612 Greenwood Avenue | Sign up for 9:30am or 10am start
- Industry City | 238 36th Street | Sign up for 9:30am or 10am start
Decorate Thanksgiving Bags or Holiday Cards at Home
Thanksgiving bags are due November 2, cards are due December 2 | All ages
Families can also support God’s Love We Deliver with a craft project at home! Decorate a Thanksgiving meal delivery bags or make a holiday card, then mail in your creation to God’s Love We Deliver, or bring it in person to their Manhattan offices (166 Avenue of the Americas). Read all guidelines for decorating here, and email them at [email protected] to get involved.
Donate Sandwiches, Snacks & Toiletry Kits | Park Slope
Drop-offs ongoing in November | All ages
While CHiPS Soup Kitchen & Women’s Shelter only offers on-site volunteer opportunities for ages 16+, there are also youth-friendly projects that can be completed off-site and dropped off, too! Projects include sandwich-making, snack-making, assembling toiletry kits, and more. You can also plan to bring these donations to an outdoor distribution event. This is a great opportunity for kids and families to help out in person, interacting one-on-one with the people CHiPS serves. For more information about getting involved, to schedule a drop-off, or to schedule an outdoor group distribution event, email [email protected].
Cook a Thanksgiving Dish for a Community Meal | Park Slope
Drop off Thanksgiving dishes Monday, November 25 through Wednesday, November 27 | Sign up here
Donate warm clothes through Monday, November 25
CHiPS Soup Kitchen & Women’s Shelter is once again hosting a special Thanksgiving meal this year, and will be accepting homemade or store-bought dishes to be dropped off the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Sign up here to contribute a dish (or two! or three!). They will also be distributing hats, gloves, scarves, and winter socks to our guests on Thanksgiving Day, and will accept new items between now and Monday, November 25.
Stock Grocery Shelves, Serve Neighbors, and Support New Moms in Need | Downtown Brooklyn
Stock shelves | Fridays, 5:30-7pm | Sign up here
Serve at food pantry | Saturdays, 8-11am | Sign up here
Support new moms | Saturdays, November 2 & December 7 | 9am-12pm | Sign up here
Every Friday evening at Next Step Community Church, volunteers stock grocery shelves to prepare for families to shop at the food pantry on Saturdays. Children accompanied by an adult are welcome. On the first Saturday of each month, you can also sign up to support new parents in need. Volunteers help distribute care packages to new and expecting moms who have been referred from shelters, hospitals, social workers and friends. This is another family-friendly volunteer opportunity, and volunteers are welcome to bring their children.
Provide Holiday Meals for our Neighbors | Fort Greene & Clinton Hill
Ongoing until November 23
On November 23rd, One Community will bring holiday meals and groceries to over 1,600 families across Fort Greene and Clinton Hill. Donate to support your neighbors during the Thanksgiving season. A $16 donation provides a complete holiday meal plus essential groceries for one household, including fresh produce, dairy, eggs, and pantry staples. Every contribution helps ensure our neighbors can enjoy nourishing meals with dignity and peace of mind.
Donate a Winter Coat | Brooklyn Heights
Ongoing until November 27
Donate your new or gently used coats for student and families at the five highest need schools in District 33. Drop off at either Brooklyn Heights Synagogue (131 Remsen Street) or Lincoln Restler’s office (410 Atlantic Avenue). They are accepting kids coats (sizes 4-16) in new and like new condition and adult coats (all sizes) in new and like new condition. Currently they are not accepting other clothing items.
Donate a Toy at a Holiday Tree Lighting | Park Slope
Saturday, November 30 | 4:30-5:30pm
Enjoy the fun of Park Slope’s annual holiday tree lighting, and also give back! Bring a new toy for Camp Friendship’s holiday toy drive.
Support a Community Toy Drive | Brooklyn Heights
Saturday, December 14th | 9am-12pm
As the season continues into December, consider supporting a local toy drive. This one will pop up at Brooklyn Borough Hall Greenmarket on Saturday, December 14. Bring an unwrapped new toy or book for ages 5-13.
Updated: November 19, 2024. Main Image: Create Art for Thanksgiving Meal Delivery Bags with The Service Collective.
