For most of us, Thanksgiving is a time to take some time out from our busy lives, hunker down with family and be thankful for all we have. Â But for those who may not have family or the means to provide for the one they do have, the holiday can be a lot less joyous. Â Big Sunday, the local volunteer organization that specializes in matching volunteers with organizations that need them, is helping to make this Thanksgiving a lot happier for a lot of people who need some holiday cheer. Â It will be donating gift bags filled with Thanksgiving food items – plus $10 gift cards for turkeys – to 70 different non-profit groups around the Los Angeles area.
The Big Sunday office at 6111 Melrose Ave., 90004 will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and tomorrow (Monday and Tuesday, November 23 and 24) to accept foods such as yams, cranberry sauce, green beans, gravy, stuffing mix, corn bread mix, fresh vegetables and $10 supermarket gift cards for turkeys. (Note: no pies – they already have enough!) Or, if you prefer, you can donate to the effort at bigsunday.org and let them do the shopping for you. (Note:  Big Sunday is a 501(c)3 organization. All donations are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by the law.)
Big Sunday noted on its Facebook page recently that donations this year are down compared to previous years (they were about $3,200 short of their goal as of this past weekend), so they really could use your contribution for the vets, seniors, victims of domestic violence, runaway teens, working poor families, folks who are ailing, homeless people and others who need their help.
Gift bags will be packed on Wednesday, and many of the grateful recipients will be there to join the effort.
For more information, or if you would like to start a group collection to help the overall project, contact [email protected]…and please pass the word.
Finally, if you’re looking for other ways to help on Thanksgiving, or at other times during the coming holiday season, check out Big Sunday’s Annual Holiday Volunteering and Giving Opportunities List at http://theholidaylist.bigsunday.org/.  It contains more than 250 opportunities to help fellow community members from now through January 1, 2016. Whether you’d like to serve Thanksgiving meals to the homeless, provide toys to needy kids for Christmas, or sing carols at a senior living facility for Hanukkah, they can make it happen.
