What You Can Do
Help the hungry
by Lynette Majer

It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is already upon us! Even if your plans are already set, perhaps you would like to add to the gratitude of the season by helping those who don’t have a hot meal or friends and family to share it with. Conveniently, most of these opportunities are scheduled in the first half of the day, so we can all lend a hand before heading off to enjoy our own festivities.

These are only a few ways you can help. Children are welcome at all opportunities, but contact each organization directly for specific age requirements. And, sign up early – all of these chances to make a difference fill up fast.

Meals on Wheels has been providing hot meals to homebound seniors in San Francisco for over 35 years; they currently provide 16,000 delivered meals per week to almost 1,500 seniors, the majority of whom live alone. (So, there are plenty of ongoing opportunities throughout the year to help these folks!) For Thanksgiving, volunteers are needed to help deliver meals in shifts beginning as early as 8:30 a.m. with the last delivery at noon. If you don’t have the wheels, help them out in the office (1375 Fairfax Avenue) to organize the other volunteers. Contact Leslie Nipps, 415-343-1325, lnipps@mowsf.org

Three times yearly (Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter), for over 30 years, Tenderloin Tessie Holiday Dinners has helped feed the City’s homeless, disabled, elderly, and those who just don’t have a place to go, with the message of “no matter who you are, there is someone who cares.” An average of 1,000 meals, including gift bags with nonperishable food, personal care items, socks, and gloves are served in a welcoming environment each holiday. Volunteers with big hearts and warm smiles are needed to provide a hot meal and friendship at Tessie’s Thanksgiving dinner served at the First Unitarian
Universalist Church (1187 Franklin Street). Contact Michael Gagne, 415-584-3252, tenderlointessiedinners@yahoo.com.

With the help of tens of thousands of volunteers, Glide Memorial’s Free Meals Program serves over one million meals annually, three times daily to the City’s homeless. Their holiday volunteering schedule will be posted on their Web site (www.glide.org) beginning Nov. 1. Positions include serving, cleanup and more, and all fill up very quickly. Volunteers for this program are also needed daily throughout this and every month at the church (330 Ellis Street), 415-674-6080, e-mail volunteer@glide.org.

If you’d like to share the spirit of the season, but can’t get away on Thanksgiving, here are some additional opportunities:

This year, the San Francisco Food Bank will distribute 23 million pounds of food, which is enough to provide more than 50,000 meals daily to hungry San Franciscans. Their goal for the holiday season is to distribute enough food for 70,000 meals, so they can really use your help sorting, inspecting and repacking thousands of pounds of food. Shifts are 9 a.m. to noon and 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. daily and every Tuesday and Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m. (900 Pennsylvania Ave). The Food Bank has myriad opportunities to help the hungry, so call 415-282-1900 or visit www.sffoodbank.org to find out how you can get started today.

Project Open Hand has been delivering daily meals and groceries to those critically ill and homebound, including seniors, since 1985 and has served as a model for over 100 organizations worldwide. Last year, a daily average of over 2,000 meals were served and almost 200 grocery bags were delivered. Volunteers are needed for their A Place at the Table program to package and prepare nutritious meals on Nov. 11 and Nov. 20 and to pack holiday pies on Nov. 25; both opportunities from 5 to 8 p.m. (730 Polk St.), 415-447-2300, www.handsonbayarea.org, www.openhand.org.

Take a moment and reflect this season. Be grateful, and then show your gratitude by taking a few hours to help others enjoy a meal.

E-mail: lynette@northsidesf.com