Giving back: Where to volunteer in Pennsylvania this holiday season
From serving holiday meals to shoveling snow, there are many ways to lend a hand in the coming months.
For those looking to volunteer this holiday season, there are many opportunities to do so in Pennsylvania. From ensuring families have food on Thanksgiving to helping neighbors clear snowy driveways, there are plenty of ways to support people in your community in the coming weeks and months.
Serve a holiday meal
Throughout the commonwealth, there are opportunities to make sure families have festive holiday meals.
To connect with groups in your area that are offering Thanksgiving food baskets to provide people with turkey, vegetables and pies to make their own meals at home, click here. Information about Christmas food baskets can be found here.
The Philadelphia-based Jewish Relief Agency distributes meals on Hanukkah as well as on other days. To learn about volunteering for the JRA, click here.
Information about organizations providing free hot meals on Thanksgiving Day is located here. Details about hot meals on Christmas Day are here. Additional holiday resources, including for providing and receiving gifts, are listed through the state’s 211 program here.
When using the 211 websites, make sure to put in your zip code at the top of the page to find groups that are closest to you.
It’s not just during the holidays that families face hunger. About 1.7 million Pennsylvanians struggle with food insecurity, and food banks and pantries are looking for additional volunteers this holiday season to connect families with food on a regular basis. Feeding Pennsylvania, the statewide association of nine food banks that serve all 67 counties in the commonwealth, has a list of local food banks here.
More information about food resources in Pennsylvania can be found here.
Adopt a family
Holiday adoption programs connect you with a family in need. The family often provides specific requests for gifts, food and other items. A list of groups providing holiday adoption programs can be found here.
There are also a range of organizations that directly provide holiday gifts to families; those groups are listed here.
Remember to put your zip code in at the top of the page to find groups that are close to you.
The Domestic Violence Center of Chester County offers a program through which you can donate to survivors of domestic violence. Those participating in the program will receive wish lists from an individual or family. More information is located here.
Volunteer for Kwanzaa celebrations
Kwanzaa, which celebrates African American culture, will take place from Dec. 26 through Jan. 1. There are numerous ways to volunteer for Kwanzaa events in Pennsylvania, including at the African American Museum as part of Philadelphia’s seven-day celebration, which will include family-friendly activities, music, crafting, food, and much more. Click to find out about becoming a volunteer here.
The PairUP Society and the Mercer Museum in Bucks County’s Doylestown will host a Kwanzaa celebration. To inquire about volunteering for the family-friendly event, which will include music, dancing and more, call the Mercer Museum at 215-345-0210 or email [email protected].
The Black Scranton Project holds annual Kwanzaa festivities. To connect with them about donating or volunteering, email [email protected], call 570-871-0539 or click here.
Lend a hand when the snow comes
With the temperatures finally dropping and snow forecast for parts of Pennsylvania this week, it seems like winter is on its way — and, with it, the headache of shoveling.
To help community members who may be unable to do their own shoveling, you can call 2-1-1, the state helpline, and ask to be connected with groups in your area that need volunteers. Individuals who need help with shoveling may also call 2-1-1 to be connected to people who can assist them.
Those interested in helping in the Lancaster area can contact the United Way of Lancaster County at 717-824-8122, visit the Dig Out Lancaster County Facebook group, or contact the Lancaster Snow Angels
There are snow angel groups that help people with shoveling in northeastern Pennsylvania and the Pittsburgh area as well.
Run for a good cause
For the athletes among us, holiday runs aren’t just for your own health; many also raise money for a variety of causes.
The Jingle Bell Run for Arthritis will take place on Dec. 7 in Pittsburgh and Dec. 14 in Philadelphia.
The Carlisle Family YMCA Turkey Trot 5K, which raises money for the YMCA in Cumberland County, will be held on Nov. 28. There are also turkey trots on Nov. 28 in Sayre, Shippensburg, Hollidaysburg, Millersville, York, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia.
The Philadelphia YMCA will host its annual Gobble Wobble 5K, which raises money for the Y’s financial assistance program. The program makes it possible for children to attend the Y’s child care and youth programs.
