In San Francisco, volunteers fanned out across the city on Thanksgiving Day to give back to the community. For many, it was their first year of volunteering in the city, motivated by a desire to make a difference.
"I thought I'd give back after moving here," said Joey Nerad, one of 200 volunteers at the Salvation Army. "It feels good."
The Salvation Army, along with other organizations such as GLIDE and San Francisco's Glide Memorial Church, distributed thousands of meals across the city. Volunteers were hard at work carving turkeys and hams that would help make up Thanksgiving Day meals for community members in need.
"It's our 39th anniversary," said Anni Chung, CEO of Self-Help for the Elderly, a community organization that partners with volunteers to deliver meals to Asian seniors and other vulnerable populations. "We started this tradition of Thanksgiving on Thanksgiving Day."
The event has been ongoing for decades, with police officers, firefighters, and park rangers coming together on their day off to give back to the community.
"This has been going on for three decades," said Commander Jack Hart with San Francisco Police Department. "My kids are here. Family members enjoy coming and it's really multigenerational now."
Volunteers like Audrey Moy, a retired investigator with the DA's office, say that volunteering makes a big difference in their lives.
"I've been coming (and volunteering) for almost 37 years," she said. "I'm 76 years old. A lot of people don't get out to have their dinners. So, when I deliver them, they are very happy."
The need is great, according to organizers, with an increase in families seeking assistance over the past month and a half.
"While an enthusiastic group of volunteers showed up on Thanksgiving Day," said Naeemah Charles, Sr. Director of GLIDE Center for Social Justice, "we also need volunteers year-round."
GLIDE has been serving meals to community members since 1972, when it was founded by Rev. Cecil Williams.
"Within the past month and a half, two months, we have seen an increase in families," said Mattox. "We have seen an increase of families, four or five children coming through, and their parents coming through to say, we just don't have the money to feed our children. And we welcome them."
To find out how to volunteer with GLIDE, click here.
As for Nerad, he plans to continue volunteering in the city, motivated by a desire to give back.
"I just love to do it and try to give back a little bit to the community," she said.
"I thought I'd give back after moving here," said Joey Nerad, one of 200 volunteers at the Salvation Army. "It feels good."
The Salvation Army, along with other organizations such as GLIDE and San Francisco's Glide Memorial Church, distributed thousands of meals across the city. Volunteers were hard at work carving turkeys and hams that would help make up Thanksgiving Day meals for community members in need.
"It's our 39th anniversary," said Anni Chung, CEO of Self-Help for the Elderly, a community organization that partners with volunteers to deliver meals to Asian seniors and other vulnerable populations. "We started this tradition of Thanksgiving on Thanksgiving Day."
The event has been ongoing for decades, with police officers, firefighters, and park rangers coming together on their day off to give back to the community.
"This has been going on for three decades," said Commander Jack Hart with San Francisco Police Department. "My kids are here. Family members enjoy coming and it's really multigenerational now."
Volunteers like Audrey Moy, a retired investigator with the DA's office, say that volunteering makes a big difference in their lives.
"I've been coming (and volunteering) for almost 37 years," she said. "I'm 76 years old. A lot of people don't get out to have their dinners. So, when I deliver them, they are very happy."
The need is great, according to organizers, with an increase in families seeking assistance over the past month and a half.
"While an enthusiastic group of volunteers showed up on Thanksgiving Day," said Naeemah Charles, Sr. Director of GLIDE Center for Social Justice, "we also need volunteers year-round."
GLIDE has been serving meals to community members since 1972, when it was founded by Rev. Cecil Williams.
"Within the past month and a half, two months, we have seen an increase in families," said Mattox. "We have seen an increase of families, four or five children coming through, and their parents coming through to say, we just don't have the money to feed our children. And we welcome them."
To find out how to volunteer with GLIDE, click here.
As for Nerad, he plans to continue volunteering in the city, motivated by a desire to give back.
"I just love to do it and try to give back a little bit to the community," she said.
! It's incredible how many volunteers, from police officers to retired investigators, are giving their time to help those in need 
. The fact that it's not just a one-day thing, but an ongoing tradition over the years, is truly heartwarming 
. I mean, who needs fancy restaurants when you can have a home-cooked meal with someone who genuinely cares about your well-being? 
It just goes to show that making a difference doesn't have to be expensive or grand – sometimes it's the smallest acts of kindness that make the biggest impact 
.
200+ volunteers coming together on Thanksgiving Day to make a difference in their community is honestly really inspiring. I mean, can you imagine having to choose between paying rent/mortgage and buying food for your family? It's crazy how many people struggle like that. And the fact that organizations are partnering up with each other to make it happen is just beautiful 
. It shows that even in a big city like San Francisco, there's still so much room for kindness and generosity. Let's keep spreading this positivity! 
. I mean, 200 volunteers is cool and all, but we're still talking about thousands of families who can't afford a decent meal on Thanksgiving Day 
. And it's not just about the food, it's about having dignity and being able to spend time with loved ones without financial stress weighing you down 
.
. We need systemic changes, not just band-aids on individual problems. Still, I guess it's better than nothing, right? 
i mean, giving up ur thursday to help out others is literally the ultimate act of kindness. and its not just about one day either, it's an ongoing thing where ppl are committed 2 helping out year round. that's what im talking about!! 
they're making such a huge difference in their community, especially on Thanksgiving Day when people need it most 
. 200+ volunteers rocking up at the Salvation Army and other orgs like GLIDE just to give back is goal 
. and can we talk about how awesome it is that cops, firefighters, and park rangers are taking time off to volunteer too? 
. let's keep spreading the love and kindness in our community! 
I mean, can we talk about how cringeworthy this whole "giving back" vibe is? Like, I'm all for helping out the community, but these organizations are basically just using us volunteers to do their job. 
I'm not sayin' nothin's fishy, but I do think we need to dig a little deeper into this whole volunteer scene. What's really goin' on here? 
! The police, firefighters, park rangers... everyone's comin' together to give back. That's what it's all about, man - community, compassion, and just plain ol' kindness 
I mean, I already use self-help apps to manage my own finances, but being able to give back that way... 
! I MEAN, IT'S NOT ABOUT THE THANKSGIVING DAY CELEBRATION, IT'S ABOUT MAKING A CHANGE IN YOUR COMMUNITY ONCE A YEAR, PLUS ALL YEAR ROUND