Thanksgiving ideas...

[Ultralight]

Hey, thought I'd ask for some thoughts on this.

Usually on Thanksgiving I go alone to an Indian restaurant and enjoy some turkey tikka masala and/or I have a meal with my sis, BIL, and possibly my mom and dad. I will occasionally have dinner with a friend's family. Anyway, it varies.

This year I am considering a volunteer Thanksgiving -- perhaps serving meals at the Food Bank or something like that.

Anyone else do this? Good experience? Bad experience?

[Float On]

Always a good experience. We have a local program that hosts a Thanksgiving Meal and Free Thrift Shop for homeless and underemployed in our area. They serve over 1000 meals each Thanksgiving Evening.

[Ultralight]

My GF was told she had to leave one of her dogs at home when she goes to visit her family in NY for Thanksgiving. She is not happy about this and is considering just staying home.

So I suggested the volunteer things to her, like we could do it together. Waiting to hear back from her...

[Ultralight]

They serve over 1000 meals each Thanksgiving Evening.

That really is A LOT!

[Float On]

That really is A LOT!

We have a huge amount of people who have minimum wage jobs in tourism industry who get laid off Nov-early March. At those wages they are unable to save up money for the winter months. We have another program that does nightly meals Dec-Feb. We usually help several times with that.

[Dhiana]

I've volunteered at Thanksgiving and found it an ok experience.

Everybody volunteers at Thanksgiving and Christmas, like it's their holiday duty or penance.
Volunteers are needed for every day. Homeless aren't homeless only one or two days per year.

Find an organization that fits with your skills to help and stick with it. All. Year. Long.
That is where I have found the most satisfaction and saw the most success for those who needed help.

[goldensmom]

This year I am considering a volunteer Thanksgiving -- perhaps serving meals at the Food Bank or something like that.

Good idea on Thanksgiving; good idea any day of the year.

[sweetana3]

In Indy, the Mozel Sanders Foundation serves or delivers 35,000 Thanksgiving dinners. They have plenty of volunteers each year. The city has a whole lot of need for volunteer thruout the year not just the holidays.

[Ultralight]

35,000 Thanksgiving dinners.

Mind-boggling amount...

[ToomuchStuff]

My GF was told she had to leave one of her dogs at home when she goes to visit her family in NY for Thanksgiving. She is not happy about this and is considering just staying home.

So I suggested the volunteer things to her, like we could do it together. Waiting to hear back from her...

Senses tingling that you might get to type "she not happy about this" again.
Did you volunteer to watch the dog, or just volunteer her to help?
What if she wants just some alone time with you?

[freshstart]

I've volunteered at Thanksgiving and found it an ok experience.

Everybody volunteers at Thanksgiving and Christmas, like it's their holiday duty or penance.
Volunteers are needed for every day. Homeless aren't homeless only one or two days per year.

Find an organization that fits with your skills to help and stick with it. All. Year. Long.
That is where I have found the most satisfaction and saw the most success for those who needed help.

ITA. But from age 7 or so til after college we volunteered at a soup kitchen as a family every year. 10k meals were delivered but because we were kids and needed to be watched by our folks, we worked as servers in the DR until we were older. I met the neatest people, learned that serving is one of our family's values and eventually, we started doing other things like this throughout the year. I naturally fell into a desire for a career of service.

Starting with a holiday isn't so bad, it requires not only your service but also for you to give up your traditional holiday plans. Then branch out once you are comfortable.

those were the best Tgivings I ever had

[Tammy]

You could volunteer to watch your girlfriends dog so she can go see her family!

[ApatheticNoMore]

Everybody volunteers at Thanksgiving and Christmas, like it's their holiday duty or penance. Volunteers are needed for every day. Homeless aren't homeless only one or two days per year.

well it sounds very nice to volunteer to help on the holidays, but I doubt holiday penance has much to do with anything, maybe some extreme guilt laden religious backgrounds, but otherwise it's a really weird and alien motivation, and I've thought of volunteering on those days, but never for that weird a reason. If your that guilt ridden just send a check already! :)

I think the motivation is more just if people don't have family (or substitute family in friends that wants them around on that day - ie that isn't totally claimed by their own families and where it wouldn't be odd), that there is really not much to do that day (ugh early black Friday shopping - well come on noone on this board would consider that pretty much anyway). The other 365 days a year are working and getting a tiny bit of social life and chores in when not working.

Mind you I had the thought the other day that the one thing I will always do for organizations is labor, blind stupid menial labor, dumb physical effort. But whatever, most of the time I'm not saving the world so much as setting up chairs or clearing some weeds or something.

[Ultralight]

You could volunteer to watch your girlfriends dog so she can go see her family!

I did volunteer to watch her dog. But she said: "That is not the point! The point is that my dogs are like my family members and I want to be with them on the holidays too."

She has two dogs. Everyone loves one of the dogs and everyone dislikes the other dog. So her sister asked her to leave the dog no one likes at home.

[catherine]

I agree with Dhiana--in theory it's a wonderful idea, but sometimes kitchens are cluttered with do-gooders who have nothing to do because they all descend on the food bank on that one day, or Martin Luther King day.

On the good side, if you decide to volunteer it doesn't have to eat up your whole day. You can volunteer for a seating or for a certain period of time and then have the rest of the day for you and your GF to do something alone together.

[Float On]

I did volunteer to watch her dog. But she said: "That is not the point! The point is that my dogs are like my family members and I want to be with them on the holidays too."

She has two dogs. Everyone loves one of the dogs and everyone dislikes the other dog. So her sister asked her to leave the dog no one likes at home.

That was very nice of you to volunteer to care for her dog. People have every right to say "pets not welcome". I had one friend who used to always bring over her dog. It stresses out my old dog. It pees or chews on something of mine and she laughs it off because "isn't she the best dog ever?" while I'm left cleaning up the damage. I don't invite her over anymore.

I get amazed at all the tourists who think we all love their itty-bitty-ankle-biter dogs just as much as they do. No, I don't want to eat in a restaurant with someone seated next to me with a dog in a carrier, purse, or stroller. No I don't want to shop in the grocery store with someone's dog drooling on the floor or peeing on the endcap display of canned veggies. No, I don't want you to hold your tiny dressed up dog in my face and talk baby talk while I'm trying to enjoy a music show or the lake trails. They completely ignore those "service dogs only" signs. Apparently every dog is now a therapy dog of some sort.

[Ultralight]

That was very nice of you to volunteer to care for her dog. People have every right to say "pets not welcome". I had one friend who used to always bring over her dog. It stresses out my old dog. It pees or chews on something of mine and she laughs it off because "isn't she the best dog ever?" while I'm left cleaning up the damage. I don't invite her over anymore.

I get amazed at all the tourists who think we all love their itty-bitty-ankle-biter dogs just as much as they do. No, I don't want to eat in a restaurant with someone seated next to me with a dog in a carrier, purse, or stroller. No I don't want to shop in the grocery store with someone's dog drooling on the floor or peeing on the endcap display of canned veggies. No, I don't want you to hold your tiny dressed up dog in my face and talk baby talk while I'm trying to enjoy a music show or the lake trails. They completely ignore those "service dogs only" signs. Apparently every dog is now a therapy dog of some sort.

My mom has one of those little baked potato-sized dogs. It does nothing but offer her companionship. And yes, it is a certified therapy dog and she demands the right to take it everywhere.

[JaneV2.0]

That was very nice of you to volunteer to care for her dog. People have every right to say "pets not welcome". I had one friend who used to always bring over her dog. It stresses out my old dog. It pees or chews on something of mine and she laughs it off because "isn't she the best dog ever?" while I'm left cleaning up the damage. I don't invite her over anymore.

I get amazed at all the tourists who think we all love their itty-bitty-ankle-biter dogs just as much as they do. No, I don't want to eat in a restaurant with someone seated next to me with a dog in a carrier, purse, or stroller. No I don't want to shop in the grocery store with someone's dog drooling on the floor or peeing on the endcap display of canned veggies. No, I don't want you to hold your tiny dressed up dog in my face and talk baby talk while I'm trying to enjoy a music show or the lake trails. They completely ignore those "service dogs only" signs. Apparently every dog is now a therapy dog of some sort.


Exactly! Exactly the way I feel about small children. I'd a million times rather sit next to a dog. The SO and I used to ask to be seated in the smoking section when there was such a thing, hoping to avoid families.

And I don't do penance either--the Catholic epigeny was lost on me. I've volunteered several time, and never felt as if I were making a difference. Now I regularly send money to carefully chosen animal rescue charities, where I think it does some good.

[Ultralight]

And I don't do penance either--the Catholic epigeny was lost on me. I've volunteered several time, and never felt as if I were making a difference. Now I regularly send money to carefully chosen animal rescue charities, where I think it does some good.

This is a good point.

[Tammy]

All these dogs exacerbate my asthma. As much as I like them and think they're cute ... A persons got to breathe.

[Ultralight]

Some people just don't like dogs. Some people have allergies. I just keep my pup away from these people and vice versa. It is not a big deal and there is no need, in my opinion, to take that personally.

I understand how people, my girlfriend included, want everyone to love their dog -- or even how they expect everyone love their dog -- but that is just not reality.

[ToomuchStuff]

I understand how people, my girlfriend included, want everyone to love their dog -- or even how they expect everyone love their dog -- but that is just not reality.

Change dog to children, same thing.
If at my family get togethers, all of the parties brought their dogs like some of them do (take them everywhere, or try to), no one would be able to visit between accidents, and incidents caused by/to the animals.

[iris lilies]

I did volunteer to watch her dog. But she said: "That is not the point! The point is that my dogs are like my family members and I want to be with them on the holidays too."

She has two dogs. Everyone loves one of the dogs and everyone dislikes the other dog. So her sister asked her to leave the dog no one likes at home.
Then your gf is off. If they welcome one dog and shun the other, it's because the other has had behavior problems or physical issues.

It's not reasonable to expect all families to accept all dogs along with guests. I don't expect it, even though DHs family has been pretty welcoming of our dogs who are not easy.

Besides, We ourselves don't always want to take them on vacation. We once stuck our own dogs in a kennel for a few days and went on vacation, taking a dog we were fostering. He was well behaved, haha. He got to stay in an old hotel with a doorman and he took it in stride and did NOT go after the hotel's cat.

[Ultralight]

Then your gf is off. If they welcome one dog and shun the other, it's because the other has had behavior problems or physical issues.

It's not reasonable to expect all families to accept all dogs along with guests. I don't expect it, even though DHs family has been pretty welcoming of our dogs who are not easy.

Besides, We ourselves don't always want to take them on vacation. We once stuck our own dogs in a kennel for a few days and went on vacation, taking a dog we were fostering. He was well behaved, haha. He got to stay in an old hotel with a doorman and he took it in stride and did NOT go after the hotel's cat.

Well, she is going but I am not sure what is going to happen with her dogs. I think she should just let me watch the wild one. It actually gets along with my dog. :)

In a way I am glad she is going. She likes her family time and I like to go to Taj Palace for curry and masala. :+1: