Thanksgiving is an opportunity to show employees how much you appreciate them. It is also an occasion to encourage teams to give back to the community. Rather than organize an office feast with turkey and all the trimmings, giving back is a great way to commemorate the holiday. Employers can do this by encouraging employees and making it easier to volunteer. Giving back as a group helps build a community spirit in the office while promoting charitable causes.

What Can Your Business Do to Help the Less Fortunate at Thanksgiving?

There are many people in New York City that will celebrate Thanksgiving with very little. Businesses can show their appreciation for all their good fortunes by serving a meal at a local charity or church or helping to deliver meals. The Real Life Church at Hunts Point in the Bronx and Greenpoint Reformed Church in Brooklyn are just two community churches that serve meals during Thanksgiving. Bringing together colleagues to help with food preparation, serving or clean-up is a fulfilling opportunity to build your team while giving back.

There are dozens of organizations that are willing to partner with businesses to provide nutritional meals to less fortunate New Yorkers. City Harvest and the New York Food Bank welcomes volunteers as well as donations of canned foods and non-perishable items. Both organizations see volunteer positions fill up quickly during the holiday season, but there are smaller pantries and food banks that also need help. In addition to serving dinner to some 350 people on any given day, the Yorkville Common Pantry will also be offering a home-cooked meal on November 23. Located at 8 East 109th Street between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue, the pantry welcomes volunteers on weekdays during the lead up to Thanksgiving. Each day, God’s Love We Deliver delivers three-course meals to 1,500 New Yorkers that find themselves homebound. During Thanksgiving, the charity welcomes drivers to deliver specially decorated gift baskets along with their meals. New York Cares also distributes food to community centers and senior centers throughout the city.

Free, Fun Thanksgiving Events in New York City

From the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting, late November host some of New York’s most iconic events. Winter’s Eve at Lincoln Square is a holiday celebration that brings together more than 20,000 people. Free entertainment and live music are held alongside food tastings from over 30 area restaurants and eateries. First organized in 2000, the event includes the Upper West Side’s only tree lighting ceremony. Winter’s Eve at Lincoln Square offers businesses a fun opportunity to bring together coworkers and their families while giving back to the community. New York Cares is one of the organizations that use the event as an opportunity to help the less fortunate, including with a coat drive. The charity also welcomes volunteers to help during Winter’s Eve.

Thanksgiving has always been a popular holiday. Setting aside a day where families can come together and be thankful for each other and all that they have is truly wonderful. In fact, people hold this holiday so dear that more people travel to be with their families on Thanksgiving than any other holiday.

Transferring this great feeling over to the office is easy with a little planning. The gathering can result in a true bonding experience among employees and raise office moral. Following these simple tips can help you create the perfect Thanksgiving gathering for your office or business.

Be Thankful for Each Other

While it may be tempting to turn this event into a be thankful for your job, it should be more centered on being thankful for everyone who contributes to the success of the office or business. Everyone should realize that they are appreciated and should also be able to express their gratitude for the people they work with each day. It is a true morale booster and creates a wonderful experience for the party.

Make the Dinner Personal

While turkey is traditional and should be available, encourage employees to bring a dish that is special to their family or traditions for this holiday. This allows employees to bring some of their personal life and heritage to the gathering, making it a more personal experience. Make sure that you have enough side dishes and desserts to make everyone happy and be sure to ask if there are any special dietary needs that should be met so that everyone is included.

Hold the Party the Week Before the Holiday

It is probably very wise to hold the office Thanksgiving party a week before the real holiday. This ensures that employees are not over stressed from having to make plans and run errands for their own holiday at home. Some businesses may even want to opt for a weekend party when employee family members can also attend.