Donating Your Cooking Skills During Thanksgiving

One of the greatest things about studying in an online culinary arts program is that it teaches you skills you can use to give something back to your community. And with Thanksgiving fast approaching, that sentiment is true now more than ever.

Donating turkeys
Did you learn how to cook the perfect turkey in one of your online culinary courses? Well, you can use that newfound acumen to provide dinners for people who might not otherwise have the opportunity to dig into a delicious Thanksgiving bird.

Food banks across the country are swamped this time of year with people in search of a little holiday cheer and a hearty meal. In Sacramento, Calif., for instance, Thanksgiving isn’t just the busiest day of the year at the city’s food bank, it also provides an opportunity for the organization to hold its biggest fundraiser.

And the Sacramento Food Bank is far from the only one in the country that experiences that kind of rush when turkey day rolls around. Chances are, there’s a center near you that could use your culinary chops to help feed the local needy population. Plus, it gives you an opportunity to practice your skills at one of the more difficult dishes on anyone’s menu – a juicy, flavorful turkey.

Other places to donate
One place you might want to consider going to donate any excess food from your Thanksgiving preparation is your local Wal-Mart. One of the giant retailer’s stores, located in Canton, Ohio, is holding a food drive to help provide needy employees with enough to fill their tables this Thanksgiving.

While the drive has drawn a lot of criticism, with many people once again heaping scorn on Wal-Mart for not paying its employees well enough, the workers themselves see it much differently. They think of it as a group of friends coming together to help out those who might have fallen on tough times.

Plenty of other businesses, schools and organizations also accept donations that they funnel to the needy. With a little bit of research into your local community, you can surely find ways to make it so that less fortunate people can enjoy the fruits of your culinary labor.

Finding ways to help during the holidays
Even if you don’t end up cooking turkey for the needy this Thanksgiving, you can always donate side dishes, or you can head down and be a part of the festivities by donating your time and skills at your local food bank, soup kitchen, homeless shelter or religious institution. After all, giving is in the title of the holiday.