By Gus Saltonstall
Thanksgiving is almost upon us and there are multiple places on the Upper West Side where you can get a free turkey (or other kind of) meal this holiday. Additionally, for those looking to spend part of the day volunteering and helping to dish out those meals, there are also multiple options in the neighborhood.
Here are some of those Upper West Side free meal and volunteering opportunities for the November 28 holiday.
Goddard Riverside: 593 Columbus Avenue (between 87th and 88th streets)
Goddard Riverside will serve up free Thanksgiving meals at its Older Adult Community Center at 593 Columbus Avenue from noon until 3 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.
Everyone who would like a meal is welcome, and there is one meal per person.
Goddard Riverside has hosted a Thanksgiving meal for 40 years in the neighborhood. You can sign up to volunteer on Thanksgiving Day and the day before — HERE. Or, you can choose to help provide turkeys, cookies, or more dishes — HERE.
Broadway Community: 601 West 114th Street
The Broadway Community food pantry will dish out free holiday meals on Thanksgiving. The pantry generally serves around the first 60 people every Thursday from 2 to 5 p.m., but you’ll want to call 212-864-6100 ext. 120 to find out specific hours on the holiday, as well as any questions about volunteering.
You can find out more — HERE.
Utopia Diner: 267 Amsterdam Avenue (between 72nd and 73rd streets)
The popular Upper West Side diner will be giving our free meals on Thanksgiving to those in need, an employee confirmed to West Side Rag.
The option will last until food supplies run out, but the employee said they would be well stocked.
West Side Campaign Against Hunger: 263 West 86th Street
West Side Campaign Against Hunger will not be open on Thanksgiving Day, but the organization is doing its annual fundraiser to help get holiday meals to families in need. It has currently raised $151,000 of its $320,000 goal, with donations going to providing turkey, pork shoulder, or vegetarian options, along with healthy groceries, to a family this holiday season.
You can learn more — HERE.
St. Michael’s Church: 225 West 99th Street
While it won’t be on Thanksgiving Day, St. Michael’s Church will be dishing out free Thanksgiving meals on Saturday, November 30.
Doors will open at 10 a.m., and you can find out more, as well as check out volunteer opportunities — HERE.
We will undoubtedly be missing some options, so please let us know in the comment section about anywhere else in the neighborhood that is providing free food on Thanksgiving, and we’ll update the article. Thanks!
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“Grab and Go” lunch bags will be distributed between 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day at Christ & St. Stephen’s Church, 122 West 69th Street. These free lunches are always available every weekday between 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
No one has ever said it better that Harry Chapin
:[Spoken]
( Thanksgiving. Remember junior high school, high school, elementary school, “Everybody bring in your cans for the hungry people?” Remember that?
Just imagine if somebody when you were in fifth or sixth grade, if the principal had the gonads to say on Monday, “Children, it was the most single wonderful outpouring of generosity that this school has ever seen. More cans of food, feeding a hundred ninety three families, came to this school than ever before. We only have one problem, and we’re going to deal with it this coming week. We’re going to cancel our regular classes and what we’re going to talk about is, what are those people going to eat next week?”
Now doesn’t that sound like a sensible educational system that dealt with those types of questions? )
What a wonderful person and a wonderful cause.
Those buying Thanksgiving meals for others this holiday season may be pleased to learn that the cost of doing so this year is at its lowest since 2021, the second year in a row prices have decreased; or, when adjusted for inflation, this year’s Thanksgiving meal is the second-cheapest since 1984. (See https://www.fb.org/market-intel/thanksgiving-dinner-costs-are-down-again .)
Something to thankful for, eh?
Thanks for the info. I had a very good filling day today, blessed by the volunteers who cooked and served us and I’m grateful to be blessed with thanksgiving food . Happy Thanksgiving everyone and may your day is filled with bountiful goodness on plate.