Holidays & Special Events: Thanksgiving

Please notify the client in advance that you are on your way. When you arrive at their door, leave the bag of food on the doorknob, knock loudly, step back 6-8 feet and wait for the client to open the door. Then, wish the client a very happy Thanksgiving and have a chat while keeping distance. You must remain masked.

For everyone’s safety, we require all volunteers to wear a mask while at a center. In addition, all volunteers over the age of 12 who enter a center must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. While we encourage passengers, we ask that only the driver enter the center to pick meals up, to adhere to social distancing guidelines. Also, social distance procedures will need to be followed during meal delivery.

Please allot three hours for this shift, and, be sure to arrive at your center location for the time slot you sign up for. Staff and on-site volunteers will help you check in, and, provide you with a client delivery manifest, delivery instructions, client meals and client household gift totes.  You’ll then deliver to 6-8 households and then be finished with your volunteer shift and off to celebrate the day in your own way. Happy Thanksgiving! Thank you!

Our distribution centers are as follows:

• Bronx: College of Mount Saint Vincent; 6301 Riverdale Avenue, Bronx, NY 10471
• Bronx: RAP4; 1925 Turnbull Avenue, Bronx, 10473
• Brooklyn: Industry City; 238 36th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11232
• Brooklyn: Concord Baptist Church; 833 Gardner C. Taylor Boulevard (Formerly Marcy Avenue), Brooklyn, NY 11216
• Queens: Church on the Hill; 167-07 35th Avenue, Flushing, NY 11358
• Queens: First United Methodist Church; 162-10 Highland Avenue, Jamaica, Queens, 11432
• Queens: St. John’s Univeristy; 8000 Utopia Parkway, Queens, NY 11439
• Jersey City, NJ: St. Paul’s Church – 38 Duncan Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07304
• Staten Island: All Saints Episcopal Church; 2329 Victory Boulevard, Staten Island, NY 10314
• Manhattan: St. Michael’s Church; 225 West 99th STreet, New York, NY 10025
• Manhattan: God’s Love We Deliver; 166 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10013

As a Volunteer Driver, you will USE YOUR OWN VEHICLE to deliver meals to clients — typically between 6-8 households, and all in proximity to each other. You will also deliver a small shelf-stable meal bag per household.

Our current highest-need volunteer opportunity is delivery, by car, in the Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn.

Kids are welcome to deliver with their caregivers AND we have a new volunteer opportunity this year! Help our volunteer drivers make deliveries in style this holiday season by drawing “Delivery Volunteer at God’s Love We Deliver” signs for their dashboards. These are not official City-approved signs, but a special way for delivery drivers to indicate to passers-by the important work they are doing. Email volunteer@glwd.org to get started.

Yes! The holidays are our busiest time of the year and we need extra help in just about every area. For more information on holiday volunteering, click here. Our onsite opportunities for Thanksgiving fill up quickly, so if you’re interested, get in touch as soon as possible. Online registrations open up in October for Thanksgiving Day. You can contact the Volunteer Department at 212.294.8158 or volunteer@glwd.org to get involved.

Please email us at volunteer@glwd.org.