Las Vegas Thanksgiving Turkey Drive: Where to Donate
Thanksgiving, while it may be a very underrated holiday, it is one of the major holidays in the United States. It is the time of the year to be thankful for the blessings in life and it is one of the most popular times of the year to give back to the community around you. While the glamor of Las Vegas is exciting, beyond all the neon lights is a strong community that is here to uplift families and individuals in need.
All over Las Vegas, there are many food drives and turkey drives that are here to help those give back to the community and allow everyone to have a proper thanksgiving meal. Here are just a few highlights of some places where you can donate and give back this holiday season.
Las Vegas Thanksgiving Heroes
Thanksgiving Heroes is a nonprofit organization that helps provide families in need with a full Thanksgiving meal. The founder of Thanksgiving Heroes’, Rob Adams, grew up understanding the difficulty of his family struggling to put food on the table, especially during the holidays.
Adams was inspired by the kindness of others who helped him and his family and has been paying that kindness forward by founding Thanksgiving Heroes. This organization started in Utah and has been branching out to other cities across the country, with Las Vegas being one of them.
Kilton Real Estate’s Joan Kilton is a proud board member of the Thanksgiving Heroes’ Las Vegas unit. Over 370,000 people in Nevada face hunger, and with the help of monetary donations and volunteers, Thanksgiving Heroes are trying to keep families and individuals fed this holiday season. In the first year of establishing Thanksgiving Heroes, 50 families in Las Vegas were fed.
Their goal this year is to feed at least 500 families this thanksgiving. On their website, you can donate $40 for a turkey, $100 to donate a full meal, or just donate a specific amount that you are willing to give, every penny counts!
You can also volunteer your time on November 19th to help sort donations or deliver the food. Plus, you can nominate a family in Las Vegas who you know is in need of help. If you cannot donate to a physical location, Thanksgiving Heroes is the perfect way to give back without having to worry about finding a drop-off location.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
A strong sense of community is what brings people together, and Las Vegas is no stranger to having a tight-knit community. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) officers assistance in providing families in Southern Nevada with Thanksgiving meals.
The LVMPD accepts monetary donations to help support their turkey drive and to deliver Thanksgiving Meals to families in need. This meal initiative aims to help law enforcement build stronger relationships with the Las Vegas community. In previous years, LVMPD has donated about 130 turkeys to families who were in need of a Thanksgiving dinner.
Thanks to generous donations from Kentucky Harvest, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department was able to spread holiday cheer. With inflation on everything from gas to food prices, families and individuals are in more need than ever before to help put food on the table.
Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada
With the current state of the nation experiencing high inflation prices, Thanksgiving needs are expected to be at an all-time high. Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving those in need regardless of race, religion, or creed. Since 1941 we have made it our goal to meet the needs of men, women, and children of Southern Nevada who may need assistance.
This holiday season, Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada is doing all they can to ensure everyone has a Thanksgiving meal. Any donation of food, funds, or volunteer will assist those in Southern Nevada who are food insecure, homeless, or a homebound senior, and many more of our neighbors in need.
Our kitchen staff has prepared to be able to plate and handle the number of food packages needed to be delivered. Our Meals on Wheels program, we expect to deliver 2,500 meals to homebound seniors the week before Thanksgiving. Since 1975, Meals on Wheels has been delivering meals to homebound seniors in Southern Nevada and we try and provide additional care during the holiday season with the help of donations.
We expect to provide frozen turkey and meal fixings to 3,500 registered families. For donations, we are looking for not only Turkey donations but also nonperishable foods such as boxed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, green beans, cranberry sauce, and canned yams. For donating any food items, we are accepting donations from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm Monday through Friday at our Catholic Charities campus at 1501 Las Vegas Blvd. North, Las Vegas, NV 89101. (Specifically during the Thanksgiving season)
If you are unable to donate any food or funds, we always need helping hands to assist with help in either serving our Community Meal or assisting in the Hands of Hope Community Food Pantry. Volunteers are much appreciated just as much as donations and Catholic Charities has other volunteer programs such as the English Tutor Program, and Food Pantry Services, and we also offer remote volunteer services as well.
This will be the 57th consecutive year we give back free Thanksgiving meals to 600 homeless, vulnerable men, women, and children in addition to the holiday meals we deliver for the Meals on Wheels program.
No matter how much you volunteer, donate, or decide to give back this holiday season, it is important to be thankful and show appreciation when you can. We have listed just a few places hosting various turkey drives, but there are many others in need of donations as well.
These are difficult times for some, so to help out those in need when you can is really appreciated, since not everyone has a good holiday season. We are thankful for everyone that decides to assist with providing help for those in need during this time and we hope everyone has a safe and healthy Thanksgiving.