Ten Ways to Give Back on Thanksgiving
感恩节十大爱心大回馈
For most families, Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on everything you’ve been given, and be grateful for all that you have.
对很多家庭而言，感恩节是一个回想一年中所得并且对此心存感恩的时刻。
This year may be tough for many of us; with the stock market in freefall, millions of Americans are losing money from their retirement accounts and stock portfolios, and crashing home values mean that many of us owe more on our houses than they’re even worth. But no matter how bad things are looking for you this year, there’s always someone who has it worse. So this year, take the time to give thanks for all that’s good in your own life—and to give to others who may not share the same luxuries. Here are ten ways to help the less fortunate this Thanksgiving.
对很多人来说，今年可能是艰难的一年。随着股票价格的一路狂跌，成千上万的美国人损失把退休金和股票投资本钱都赔了进去。不仅如此，破碎的家庭观念意味着我们中的许多人在供房上所投入的资金比实际房价还高。但不管今年过的有多糟糕，你还是会比某些遭受更大打击的人幸运。所以今年你该好好利用这个机会去感谢生命中所有的美好——更要记得与那些没有享受这美好的人分享这份财富。下面给出十种方法去在这个感恩节回馈爱心给那些需要帮助的人。
1. Donate to a nonprofit that helps the hungry.
Millions of people can’t afford the food they need to survive, both in the United States and throughout the world. Make a contribution to an organization that will provide food and aid to hungry families, such as the internationally-based Friends of the World Food Program; Feeding America, formerly known as America’s Second Harvest, which works on the national level to help America’s hungry. Or check out your local food bank, which will ensure that the people in your own neighborhood have enough to eat on Thanksgiving day—and every other day of the year. To learn about more great hunger-related organizations you can help, check out our Razoo Giving Guide to World Hunger.
1.捐助帮助饥民的非营利机构
在美国甚至全世界，还有成千上万的人没有食物充饥。捐助给饥饿家庭提供食物和其他帮助的组织，比如世界粮食计划署之友、美国供养（前身是美国的第二次丰收，致力于尽国家所能解决美国饥荒问题）。或者你也可以查看本地的粮库状况，确保周边的人们可以在这个感恩节甚至是以后的每一个感恩节都不挨饿。要了解更多的较大的帮助饥饿人群的机构，你可以查看我们的指导主页上的世界饥荒信息。
2. Donate a Thanksgiving basket.
Many organizations collect turkeys and all the trimmings to distribute to local families in need. When you do your Turkey Day shopping, pick up extras of everything, and donate them to a local organization like Fairfax, Virginia’s Food for Others, or Los Angeles’ annual Gobble Gobble Give event, which feeds hundreds of homeless people around Echo Park. You can also volunteer to help assemble and deliver the baskets—just check in advance to find out what your local organization needs.
2.捐赠一份感恩大餐。
很多机构募集火鸡及所有的配料分发给当地的穷困家庭。在感恩节食物大采购时，每样材料你都可以特意多挑点，然后把它们捐给当地的机构，比如费法斯、维吉尼亚食物救济部、洛杉矶年度食物派发处（给回音公园附近成百上千的流浪者提供食物，让他们免受饥饿）。此外，还可以义务帮助募集和派送感恩节菜篮子——只需要提前调查当地相关机构还需要哪些材料。
3. Hold a food drive.
Get together with your family, friends, and members of your community to host a food drive, collecting canned goods for your local shelter or food bank. With permission, set up your food drive at your workplace or church, or just outside of the local supermarket. To reach even more people, send out a group email to solicit financial donations for the cause.
3.开展食物大搜罗活动。与家人，朋友及小区的居民一起开展食物大搜罗活动，收集罐头食品捐给当地救济所或是粮库。如果可以的话，在你工作的地方、教堂或者是超市的门前设立食物搜罗点，要想让更多的人加入活动中来，可以通过群发邮件来请人们慷慨解囊。
4. Volunteer at a soup kitchen.
By helping out at a local soup kitchen, you can give a wonderful holiday to the people who need it most. Call the soup kitchen several weeks in advance to let them know that you’d like to contribute, and offer to do whatever they need help with. Serving food isn’t the only way to help—you may also be enlisted to help pick up donations, prepare food, or clean up after the meal.
4.义务帮工
通过在当地施舍所帮忙，可以给那些无米下炊的人带来一个温馨美好的感恩节。提前几周打电话告诉他们只要有需要，无论活儿轻重你都愿意帮忙。需要帮忙的不仅仅是上菜这一工作，你可能会被安排协助募集捐款、在厨房打下手或者收拾残羹。
5. Send a phone card or care package to a soldier.
Soldiers stationed overseas don’t have the opportunity to come home and spend Thanksgiving with their families, so it’s a tough time of year for them. Help a homesick soldier celebrate the holiday by shipping a care package through a group like Any Soldier or Treats For Troops. If you want to really make it a day to remember, sponsor a phone call home by donating money or an old cell phone through the Cell Phones for Soldiers program.
5.给士兵们寄电话卡或是爱心包裹。
驻扎海外的士兵们没有机会与家人共度感恩佳节，感恩节对他们来说该是一年中最难熬的日子了。通过军人之家或是军人特享团队把爱心包裹送达他们手中，以帮助思念亲人的士兵们欢度感恩节。
6. Hold a Thanksgiving charity bake sale.
Not everyone’s a master pie-maker—so use your own culinary skills for good by baking up a few dozen extra pumpkin pies and other assorted goodies to sell in advance of the big day. Donate the proceeds to an organization like Feeding America, which will ensure that the less fortunate will have enough to eat on Thanksgiving and beyond.
6.开展感恩节糕饼义卖慈善活动。
并不是每个人都是糕饼大师——所以只管尽情发挥自己的厨艺来多烘烤几打南瓜饼还有各式各样的美味在感恩节之前出售。把所得的钱捐给像美国供养之类的机构，这样就确保那些可怜的人们在感恩节甚至之后的日子都能填饱肚子。
7. Donate to a charity that helps the homeless.
While you may be tempted to give a few dollars to the homeless people you see on the streets, your money will make more of a difference when you contribute to an organization dedicated to providing help for those without shelter. Give to a large charity like the National Organization of Homeless Veterans, or a smaller regional group, like your local soup kitchen or homeless shelter. Our Razoo Giving Guide to Homelessness has details on numerous organizations that are helping homeless people to get off the streets.
7.给帮助流浪在外的人的慈善机构捐款。
在街上看到那些无家可归的人，你可能会可怜他们而给他们一点钱，但是如果你把钱捐给那些致力于帮助那些无家可归的人的机构，那将更有意义。给像无家可归的退伍军人全国联盟之类的影响力大的慈善机构捐款，或是较小的地方团体，比如当地施舍所或者流浪汉之家都可以。我们有关流浪汉资料的网页上有不少关于帮助给流浪汉安家的机构的详细信息。
8. Deliver Thanksgiving dinners to housebound people.
Call your local Meals on Wheels group and offer to drop off turkey dinners to elderly and sick people around your neighborhood. Your visit will make the holiday a meaningful and special occasion to remember.
8.给行动不便的人们送上感恩大餐。
打电话让人送餐上门，然后亲自推出大餐给小区附近的老弱者。你的到访将会让这个感恩节更有意义，这将是一个难忘的日子。
9. Visit hospital patients.
For sick patients who have no families nearby to visit them, Thanksgiving can be a sad and lonely day. Call your local hospital to find out if there are any patients who’d like some company on the holiday. Patients aren’t permitted to eat non-hospital food, so bring flowers or a small gift instead.
9.慰问住院者
对于那些亲人不在身边，无人看望的病人们来说，一个人过感恩节该有多么凄凉呢。打电话质询当地医院了解是否有病人在感恩节时需要人陪伴。医院不允许病人吃医院以外的食物，所以只需要给他们带上一束鲜花或者是一份小礼物就好。
10. Take part in a charity Turkey Trot or 5K run.
Thanksgiving’s generally a time when people pack on the pounds—but joining in a charity run can help you keep fit and contribute to a good cause all at once. Many organizations in cities and towns all over America host Thanksgiving Day runs or “Turkey Trots,” typically donating all proceeds to food banks or other local charities. Find your local race and start taking donation pledges for the big day. When the race is over, you’ll know you’ve earned that dinner. Or, if you’re not up to the challenge of running, volunteer to register runners or to pass out refreshments.
10.参加火鸡舞表演或者5000米跑公益活动
一般来说，感恩节人都会增重几斤，但参加公益赛跑不仅可以让你健康瘦身，同时也为公益事业做贡献，可谓一举两得。在美国，大到城市，小到乡镇都有许多机构组织感恩节赛跑或是火鸡舞表演，所得的收入悉数捐给粮库或是当地其他慈善机构。尽管根据自身实际情况报适合自己的赛项，开始实践感恩节爱心捐款承诺。完成赛跑的那一刻，你定会难忘今年的感恩大餐。如果体力不允许参加赛跑，那可以义务帮忙登记报名人数或是参赛者端茶递水。
