Giving Thanks and Giving Back

Also, for an extensive guide to doing charity year-round, check out the “64 Ways to Do Good” feature in our upcoming December issue!

EASY AS PIE

Food & Friends’ Slice of Life

Buy your holiday pies from Food & Friends’ Slice of Life program and make an impact on the lives of those living with HIV/AIDS, cancer, or other life-threatening illnesses in the area. Here’s how it works: Purchase your pies online (offerings this year are Picture Perfect Pumpkin, Harvest Apple Crumb, Southern Pecan, and Chocolate Cheesecake) and pick them up on Tuesday, November 25, at select CVS locations around Washington. You can also buy pies to send to a Food & Friends client. Proceeds from pie sales go to Food & Friends. Opportunities to volunteer at pie pickup locations are also available. For more information or to order pies, visit foodandfriends.org.
2941 Pie Sales

Thanksgiving Day diners at 2941 will have an opportunity to buy home-style apple pies, featuring Westmoreland County apples, Ceylon cinnamon, and a European-butter crust, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Homestretch, a Falls Church nonprofit dedicated to helping homeless families with children return to stable housing and self-sufficiency. Pastry chef Anthony Chavez is also baking 75 extra pies for Homestretch families to enjoy on Thanksgiving.

WINE AND DINE

Second Annual Uncorked Charity Wine Dinner and Silent Auction

Choosing a wine to pair with Thanksgiving dinner and other holiday meals can be tough. This event, held November 20 at 7 PM at Clyde’s of Gallery Place, provides an opportunity to taste a variety of wines paired with a traditional Thanksgiving meal, while also giving back to the community. Proceeds from the event benefit So Others Might Eat, a DC-based organization that helps the poor and homeless. Master of ceremonies for the evening will be Washington Post wine columnist Dave McIntyre. For more info, visit uncorkeddc.org.

YOGA TIME

Tranquil Space Thanksgiving Charity Yoga Classes

Join Tranquil Space for its Thanksgiving Day charity yoga classes, appropriate for all levels. At the Dupont location, an Open Flow class will run from 10 to 11:30 AM, and the Yin/Yang class, which incorporates both yin (meditative) and yang (active) yoga, will run from 10:30 to noon. Classes are $10, and money raised will benefit Tahirih Justice Center, a DC group that works to promote justice for women and girls worldwide; tranquilspace.com.

The Tranquil Space in Bethesda is also having a charity yoga class for all levels from 10 to 11:30 PM. The class is free, but donations (suggested $15 minimum) will benefit Bethesda Cares, which works to feed the homeless in the community; tranquilspacebethesda.com.

Sixth Annual Thanksgiving Day Yoga Fundraiser for Oxfam

The suggested minimum donation for this all-levels yoga class is $20, which goes directly to Oxfam International, a confederation of 13 organizations working to end global poverty and injustice. Instructor Elizabeth Goodman will match every donation above $20 up to $200. No advanced registration is required. The class will be held from 10 to 11:30 AM at Willow Street Yoga, Takoma Park Studio. For more info, visit rosegardenyoga.com.

Studio Serenity’s Adopt-a-Turkey Special Thanksgiving Day Class

Cultivate an “attitude of gratitude for all the earth’s creatures” from 9:30 to 10:45 at Studio Serenity in Adams Morgan. Proceeds from this all-levels donation class go to adopting turkeys this Thanksgiving (adoptaturkey.org). For more information, visit studioserenity.com.

Cultivating Gratitude: A Thanksgiving Day Workshop at Flow Yoga Center

This workshop at Flow Yoga Center, from 9:30 to 11:30 AM, will include 60 minutes of Vinyasa and Pranayama yoga and 30 minutes of restorative poses followed by a 30-minute Yoga Nidra practice. All proceeds from this class ($25 recommended donation), will go to Anahata International (anahatainternational.org). For more information, visit flowyogacenter.com.

Know of any other ways to give back this Thanksgiving? Let us know in the comments.