Close

Support a neighbor in need by ordering your Thanksgiving pie through Slice of Life!

Each pie purchased provides one full day of medically tailored meals to a neighbor living with HIV/AIDS, cancer, diabetes, and other serious illnesses.

Don't wait - pie sales end November 19th!

Order Pies
Close

THANKSGIVING AT FOOD & FRIENDS

November 2024

Volunteer

Join us for a special month of service!

Monday, November 11 – Thursday, November 28

Food & Friends
219 Riggs Road NE
Washington, DC 20011

Join Food & Friends as we ensure that our neighbors dealing with serious illnesses are able to enjoy a festive Thanksgiving meal with loved ones. Together, volunteers will help prepare and home-deliver more than 4,500 full Thanksgiving meals with all of the traditional holiday favorites – roasted turkey, dressing and gravy, sides, and pie, home-delivered to the individuals we serve. 

This year, our Thanksgiving operations will look very similar to last year’s, but with more volunteers in the kitchen and more delivery volunteers to deliver Thanksgiving feasts. 

Get Involved

Help build a community of support for our neighbors facing illnesses and ensure that each individual served by Food & Friends can enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal with family and friends. Sponsors receive a wide range of recognition and marketing opportunities along with opportunities to engage employees through volunteerism.

Pre-Thanksgiving Prep

Monday, November 11 – Thursday, November 28

As we put the finishing touches on the final schedule please understand that a large part of making Thanksgiving happen is maintaining our regular meal and delivery schedules. We need full volunteer coverage for every shift, although not every shift will be Thanksgiving-specific, where you will be handling turkeys or preparing tasty side dishes. Many more shifts will be ensuring that our clients get the regular nutrition they need. By keeping our clients healthy, you play a large part in making Thanksgiving happen, whether you touch a turkey or not. As we continue to navigate the pandemic, we need the goodness of Thanksgiving more than ever. That’s why, for the fourth consecutive year, we’re celebrating it all November long at Food & Friends. November IS Thanksgiving!

Kitchen shifts last 2-3 hours and are available at 9:00 am, 1:00 pm, and 6:00 pm. Kitchen volunteers must be at least 14 years old and accompanied by a parent or guardian if under the age of 16.

Delivery Thanksgiving Week

Even during the excitement of Thanksgiving, we still need to deliver our regular, nutritious meals! All volunteers for these shifts must attend an orientation and have a background check on file. If you are a new volunteer, you’ll be prompted to create an account to get started.

Thanksgiving Day

Thursday, 11/28/2024

Thanksgiving Meal Deliveries

On Thanksgiving Day you will deliver meals to 2-4 neighbors with serious illnesses living in D.C., Maryland, or Virginia. Each individual you deliver to will receive a complete turkey dinner for 5 people so that they can host their friends and family for the holiday. There are four delivery shifts: 8:00 am, 9:00 am, 10:00 am, and 11:00 am. You will get your route assignment and pick up your meals outside at the Fort Totten Metro parking lot. Volunteers must use their own vehicle, have a valid driver’s license and clean driving record. The driver must be at least 18, but there is no lower age limit for passengers, making this a great activity for the whole family.

All delivery volunteers must complete a mandatory virtual orientation, must have a background check and vehicle report on file. Information about how and when to complete the orientation is available on VolunteerHub. 

Food Preparation

This year, our Thanksgiving operations will look very similar to last year’s, but with more volunteers in the kitchen and more delivery volunteers to deliver Thanksgiving feasts on Thanksgiving Day. You will assist with the holiday food preparation and packing groceries in our kitchen. Kitchen shifts last approximately 2.5 hours and are available at 4:30 am, 6:30 am, and 8:30 am. Kitchen volunteers must be at least 14 years old and accompanied by a parent or guardian if under the age of 18.

Slice of Life Pie Distribution

Volunteers for Slice of Life will serve as Food & Friends’ representatives at each of our pie pick-up locations on Tuesday, November 26, assisting customers as they arrive. There are also opportunities to volunteer outdoors.