All in-person volunteers must be 13 and up, except for delivery shifts.
We understand that some of our long-time volunteers may be reluctant to join us in person or you’re looking for something for the whole family to do together. So how can you still participate? Here are some ideas for helping us prepare and deliver our special meals to the community this year. There’s no need to sign up. Just get started and thank you in advance.
All drop-offs can be made Monday through Friday, 9:30 am to 1:00 pm at Goddard Riverside, 593 Columbus Avenue at 88th Street.
Raw Turkeys. We’re cooking traditional holiday meals as always. So bring your turkey — any size, any brand, frozen or thawed— to Goddard and we’ll take it from there. Cooking, carving, and getting it to our neighbors for the holiday. Raw turkeys should be dropped off by Tuesday, December 13th. (Please note the drop-off times listed above.)
The last day to drop off frozen turkeys is Tuesday, December 13th. Any raw turkey donations afterward should be thawed so we can cook them right away.
Cooked Turkeys. We can accept during the week of Thanksgiving. Wednesday, Dec 21st through Friday, December 23rd, 9:30 am to 1:00 pm.
Wrapped Utensils. A plastic fork, spoon and knife wrapped in a paper napkin. Make as many as you can. And if you want to add a decorative holiday touch, that’s great.
Bagged Cookies. Everyone loves dessert, especially on the holidays. We will not be receiving our usual huge donation of homemade pies this year. Instead, we hope to fill all of our 1,000+ bags with delicious cookies. Please bake or buy cookies and place them in a sandwich-size (about 6” x 6”) zip-lock bag. (So maybe that’s four to six cookies in a bag.)
Holiday Cards. Except for home delivery groups, we are not accepting volunteers under age 13 for this year only. Children are such an important part of our volunteer family. We suggest making holiday cards at home — however many you want — and we will place them in our delivery and take-out bags.
Reusable Grocery Bags. Drop off your large bags, from FreshDirect and other delivery services. They’re a big help to our home delivery volunteers as they carry meals to our home-bound neighbors.
Donate. Finally, we will not be receiving some of our donated food and supplies this year because of the financial hardships on restaurants during the pandemic. So we will need to raise more money to purchase turkeys, desserts, and supplies. Please click the button below to send a contribution.
Thank you for your generous support.