Volunteer to Help Out!
An event this size takes a lot of hard work. You can take a few hours and join many others in making this a wonderful, fun celebration. It’s an experience you won’t soon forget.
Volunteer spots can fill up quickly, but more shifts or spaces do often open up as Thanksgiving approaches or people need to cancel. So please check back often (and/or refresh this page) if spots are filled, even up to the day of. The form on this page is the only method we offer for registering to volunteer.
CANCELLING:
See the note below about cancelling any of your appointments so others can have the opportunity.
Wednesday (day before Thanksgiving) – 3-5pm
- We need lots of help on Wednesday, November 25, to do some setup on the clothing & mercado areas, setup tables and clean the area, and other general prep work. If you are unable to help on Thanksgiving Day, this is a wonderful way to meet some new friends and help us get off to a great start!
- Set up from 3pm-5pm is outside near the Bandshell of the West LA Civic Center (The Old Courthouse Skate Park) off Santa Monica Blvd. west of the 405, at Corinth Avenue.
1645 Corinth Ave, LA 90025. See FAQ page for specific parking info. - Please consider signing up to volunteer for either Wednesday setup -or- Thanksgiving Day, so that more people may get a chance to serve this year.
- PLEASE NOTE: All children under 18 MUST be accompanied by a responsible adult at all times.
- You can sign up to volunteer for Wednesday setup using the form below.
Thanksgiving Day – Starting at 6am
- Shifts are: 6am-7:30am, 7:30am-8:30am, 8:30am-10:30am, 10:30am-12:30pm, 12pm-2pm, and 2pm-5pm.
- If the time slot you would like to sign up for is full, please choose a different time slot or check back often to see if there are additional spaces opened (or people cancel). More spots often open up the week of Thanksgiving.
- Note that you will be assigned an area to serve in based upon the greatest needs at the time of your shift. While we are not able to reserve specific areas for you to serve, we will work to keep your family or group together.
- Plan to arrive 1/2 hour early for the shift you have been assigned so you’ll have time to park and go through orientation.
- There is limited free parking at the site. Car pool, ride share, or public transportation suggested. Public lots are at Idaho & Sawtelle Blvd, Butler north of Santa Monica Blvd, Corinth north of Santa Monica Blvd, and Colby south of Santa Monica Blvd. See FAQ page for specific parking info and look for parking signs.
- When arriving, look for Volunteer Check-In in front of the Municipal Building, entering off of Corinth Ave. near Idaho.
- All volunteers will be working outdoors. It can be cool in the morning and late afternoon and hot at mid-day. Please dress accordingly.
- You will be working on pavement or hard floors so wear comfortable footwear.
- Do not bring purses or backpacks. We do not have any place to store these items.
- PLEASE NOTE: All children under 18 MUST be accompanied by a responsible adult at all times.
- Please sign up for one of the many Thanksgiving Day shifts using the form below. Please sign up for only 1 shift so others can help also!
Cancelling Your Volunteer Shift
If you find that you or anyone in your party is not able to make it to the shift you signed up for, please click the ‘Change/Cancel Appointment‘ link in any of the emails that you receive so that others can have the opportunity to volunteer in your place.
NOTE: If you initially registered for more than just yourself (by adjusting the ‘Quantity’ when registering), you will need to cancel each appointment individually for any in your party who will not be able to make it. When you get to the page to Cancel or Reschedule, you will see entries for each individual volunteer registration that you signed up for. Click the 3-dot menu to the right of each entry you wish to cancel, then hit the ‘Cancel’ link.
Register to Volunteer
*Note: if you are registering for more than yourself, please enter the number of people in your party in the ‘Total in Party’ field before choosing a shift. There will be a place to enter the additional names in your party in a later step. Or, if you prefer to do a separate registration for each member, each person will receive separate notifications. PLEASE only sign up for those you know will be joining so that others will have a chance to volunteer.
Spots Full?
If all slots are filled in the times you would like to volunteer, choose another time or keep checking back often. More spots do tend to open up in the week leading up to Thanksgiving Day as people cancel or we find other needs.
You can also be a huge help by offering to bring a pumpkin pie, or doing a food drive to collect some of the non-perishable items we need!