Kezi News Reports Deborah Hamilton Feed Homeless on Thanksgiving in Her Home Springfield Oregon

As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, many of us are pleasantly reminded of the things we feel grateful and fortunate to have in our lives. Traditionally, the holiday is celebrated with delicious food and the company of friends and family. Here at Martha's Village and Kitchen, we are devoted to bringing the same holiday spirit to our homeless families and individuals for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday and all throughout the year.

Volunteers and the community play an essential role in our mission to break the cycle of homelessness by helping to provide services and resources at Martha's Village and Kitchen. Together, we can make a meaningful impact in the lives of the homeless in the Coachella Valley.

Below are five ways you can help make a difference this Thanksgiving!

1. Donate Food or Sponsor a Food Drive

Martha's serves over a quarter of a million meals annually as well as providing an emergency services pantry where community neighbors in need can pick up non-perishable food items to make meals for the family. Volunteers manage the pantry and welcome individuals who wish to drop off donated food items. In addition, groups, organizations and companies can sponsor their very own food drive. When sponsoring a food drive, you help bring awareness to others about homelessness and hunger in the Coachella Valley as well as supplying Martha's with a large volume donation. Food drives are an excellent opportunity to create an event in the workplace, admission to a performance and much more!

Fill out our food drive application here and download our tips on organizing your food drive.

2. Volunteer Your Time or Specialties

Much of our success could not be made possible without the help of volunteers! Martha's provides a variety of services and volunteers are constantly needed in all departments. With the holiday season around the corner, many jobs are becoming available and allow an opportunity for many of our clients to maintain and be placed in jobs. You can help by leading a workshop or volunteering in our Career and Education Center. In addition to career and education, we also offer volunteer opportunities in:

• Food Services
• Maintenance
• Children's Services
• Our Thrift Store
• Emergency Services
• Front Desk Reception

For details and to learn more about volunteer opportunities, please visit our volunteer page.

3. Donate a Cash Contribution

Don't let a shortage of time stop you from helping the homeless community this Thanksgiving! A great way to help without taking up personal time is to donate a cash contribution. We make it easy to donate cash online, mail a check or "Like" our Facebook page to access the donation button and stay up-to-date with all the exciting things happening at Martha's! Planned giving and advising is also available and can offer you a tax write-off incentive.

To access our donations page, click here.

4. Black Friday Shopping? Visit our Thrift Store!

Add our Thrift Store to your list of places to check out on Black Friday! The Thrift Store offers everything from clothing to furniture, housewares and collectibles. Nothing stays on our shelves for more than three weeks and your purchases help us to continue providing food, clothing, shelter and all our services at Martha's.

For hours and directions to our Thrift Store, click here.

5. Walk/Run in the Thanksgiving 5K

One of our most anticipated and well-attended events is our annual Thanksgiving 5K race. Get a workout in before the big turkey dinner by bringing friends and family to participate in the 5K. Our 2014 event was the most popular 5K event in the Coachella Valley and is our largest support in feeding over 35,000 people that seek help from us each year. Pre-registration is now open and a $5.00 off code is available (offer expires October 31). During registration, don't forget to outfit the family in our fun "turkey hats" with a minimum donation of $10.00 a piece.

For more information, visit our Thanksgiving 5K page. You can register here:

If you have any questions about how to help the homeless community this Thanksgiving, give us a call or stop by! As always, visit our website and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter for information and updates on Martha's Village and Kitchen.

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Source: https://marthasvillage.org/what-you-can-do-for-the-homeless-this-thanksgiving/

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