Help a Local Family This Thanksgiving

A mom asked for suggestions of ways to Help a Local Family This Thanksgiving. Here are some places that could use your extra food and/or cash. I have heard that in terms of manpower, soup kitchens are often inundated with well-meaning volunteers on holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s, and then struggle to find helpers throughout the rest of the year. Consider finding an “off-season” time, too, for your family to volunteer.

So if you’re feeling extra thankful this year, here are some organizations you can help:

Mid-South Food Bank
They take food or money. For every $1 you donate, the food bank is able to purchase $4 worth of food. You can take your kids there and tour the facility to show them how they are helping the community.
Run in their Hungry Turkey 5K at Shelby Farms Park 9am on Thanksgiving morning! Includes a 100 meter Kids Dash for ages 8 and under, which is free. 5K is $34.99 (through 11/9)

Give A Meal with Bank of America
For every $1 you donate, Bank of America will match your donation with $2* more. You enter your zip code and select Mid South Food Bank as the recipient.

Little Helpers: Keep Kids Warm & Fed Campaign
Neshoba UU Church, Cordova
I could not find any updated 2019 info on this – does anyone have it?

Local Schools
Contact schools and adopt a family. I’m a teacher and we always know of homeless families or families in other rough situations who need help. We have families we are trying to help right now.

Manna House
A place of hospitality for homeless and poor persons in the city of Memphis

St. Mary’s Soup Kitchen
Each day we serve beverages, pastries, a meat sandwich, a peanut butter sandwich, a 16-ounce cup of soup, and fruit, candy or chips. A $1 donation provides one meal! Online sign up to be a Soup Kitchen Volunteer.

St. John’s Food Pantry & Soup Kitchen
Saint John’s Soup Kitchen provides vital nutrition for people who are homeless, precariously housed, just passing through town, or part of the growing numbers of the working poor. They currently need diapers, painted bowls for the Empty Bowls project and garden volunteers.

MIFA (Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association)
administers several food pantries and very much needs donations. Volunteer to deliver meals to seniors on Thanksgiving day.
Last year (2018) MIFA did not deliver on Thanksgiving Day due to a MIFA anniversary preparation. Not sure about 2019. You’ll need to call.

Christ Church in Bartlett
This ministry will have several opportunities to serve through providing construction services, food, etc. Holiday Food Baskets provide food for needy families during tough financial times. Food is collected at Christ Church, donated by its members, sorted, put into boxes, and then delivered to New Song Baptist church where it will be distributed to needy families.

Oasis of Hope
Providing Thanksgiving dinner to more than 600 inner-city families with your help – taking food donations. They need volunteers to collect, sort, and package items.

Memphis Union Mission
There is a list of items they urgently need to be donated on their website.

Memphis Thanksgiving Committee
The Thanksgiving Dinner has been an event that has been running in the city of Memphis for over 32 years. We strive to bring happiness to those in need on a day that most celebrate Thanksgiving with their families. Our vision to provide a Good meal, entertainment, Medical resources, and the spirit of giving back to he community to help those without. Volunteers must be 12+, and they are filled up for this year, but could still use your donations.

Room In The Inn
Definitely check if your church participates in this program. Churches rotate throughout the month in hosting our Memphis homeless community. Last year, I slept overnight at our church’s shelter on December 23. Your church may be hosting sometime this month (holiday season, but not on the specific holiday) and you could reach out to see how you could help. This is a super kid-friendly service opportunity.