About / FAQs

About the Westside Thanksgiving Celebration

Westside Thanksgiving started in 1982 when a small group of Christians served a free sit-down Thanksgiving dinner, sharing our blessings with the needy. Over the years it has grown to include people and organizations from all walks of life. And recently we have even started sending extra dinners out to the community for those who are not able to make it to the event itself. We continously strive to be open and adapt to the changing needs we see in the community we aim to serve.

Through the years, the event went on to grow from a simple dinner to a full-service event, currently offering:
  • Haircuts
  • Clothing
  • Mercado (store)
  • Hygiene kits
  • Children’s games
  • Live Music
And in our history, we also provided:
  • Blankets
  • Medical
  • Optical and dental services
  • Vaccinations
  • Social service resource fair
  • Children’s carnival
  • Petting zoo
  • And more…

View our Story

FAQs

  • We need people to cook and deliver hot turkeys (sign-up to bring a turkey)!
  • We need lots of blankets and clothing in good clean condition, especially men’s pants.
  • We need food and drinks (see Donations page).
  • We need money to pay for many expenses, including meals (Donate Online).
  • We need people who can organize their friends and groups to collect all kinds of donations.
  • We need people to come work with us, especially on the late afternoon shift (see volunteer registrations).
  • We need food for the meal and for the “Mercado.” (see list of goods needed)

Start saving and collecting non-perishable food items, clothing, blankets, and money (Donations).

  • That’s easy! Check the VOLUNTEER PAGE. Volunteer signups online this year start November 1.
  • On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, we work 2-7pm.
  • On Thursday (Thanksgiving Day) we have multiple 2 to 3-hour shifts starting at 6am until 5pm closing.
  • It is important that you have registered and been assigned one of the available shifts so we’ll know when you’re coming!
  • If time slots on the registration page have filled, you can choose other times or check back to see if more spots are opened up or if people cancel.
  • If you haven’t reserved a shift, you’re welcome to join us for dinner and also see if we need help when you arrive. Mid-day is the busiest time, of course.
  • Thursday shift times are listed on our Volunteer page. Please arrive 1/2 hour early to give yourself time to park and walk to the Volunteer Check-in station. The check-in station for general volunteering is behind the Civic Center, entering off of Corinth Ave. The check-in station for kitchen volunteers is in the courtyard of Kardia Church.

Yes. We need help planning and organizing, starting in September. Please contact us for more information if you would like to be involved.

We also need help collecting donations starting NOW. We need your help with transportation and logistics the week of Thanksgiving.

See our simple slow-cook (i.e, overnight) method here, along with other details on where & when to deliver your turkey, etc. There are also numerous good recipes online if you want to cook a bit quicker. Be sure it’s not stuffed!

Also, please sign up to let us know you will be cooking and delivering a turkey this year.

We’ll serve dinner between 11am-2pm Thanksgiving Day. We open up the clothing area beforehand at 9am. Then we’ll clean up and pack up until 6pm.

We welcome everyone: veterans, students, low-income families, seniors, anyone who is homeless, and anyone who is alone on Thanksgiving. Please join us as our guest!

You do! It’s entirely a volunteer effort. Thousands of people just like you have been blessing their friends and neighbors every Thanksgiving since 1982

The tradition of setting aside a day for giving thanks as a national holiday has its roots with the Pilgrims and is uniquely American. The Continental Congress, Presidents Washington, Madison, Lincoln, and every president since have proclaimed a national day of prayer and thanksgiving. We believe that we are merely stewards of all the blessings bestowed upon us. We believe in showing our gratitude and sharing our blessings with others, and we love getting together with friends to eat and celebrate. Everyone is invited!

Everything is donated by people like you, and even a small donation can help provide a hot meal. Thank you!

Yes. You can get a tax receipt at the event when you donate. Online donations made here serve as your receipt for taxes. Friends of West LA is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization, and your donations are deductible to the extent allowable.

By all means, tell your friends or help hand out flyers to potential guests. To maintain the family, community atmosphere at the event, we do not allow press, commercial photography, or videos, and we don’t promote the event, except to invite guests to come and bring their friends and family.
Download a flyer that you can print and hand out ›

We find that press coverage tends to disrupt the family atmosphere of Thanksgiving dinner. We do this as an expression of gratitude for our blessings, not as a way to obtain publicity.

  • Many people bring their children.
  • Some jobs are better suited for children than others.
  • Children often help their parents on their shift.
  • Children under 18 MUST be accompanied by a responsible adult at all times.

Dress comfortably and ready to work outside. Morning shifts are chilly, unless you’re in the kitchen. It can get pretty hot in the sun during the day shifts.

The main event is at:
The West LA Civic Center, 1645 Corinth Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90025
View map of main event locations and parking info »

  • It is 3 blocks west of the 405, 1 block south of Santa Monica Blvd.
  • The area is serviced by Big Blue Bus lines #1 & #17, and Metro line #4.
  • The guest entrance is off of Santa Monica Blvd. at Purdue Ave, just next to the library.
  • There is limited free parking at the site. Car pool, ride share, or public transportation suggested.
  • The bus stops on Santa Monica Blvd. & Corinth Ave.
  • Public lots are available on Idaho just west of Sawtelle, Butler north of Santa Monica Blvd, Corinth north of Santa Monica Blvd, and Colby south of Santa Monica Blvd.
  • Look for volunteers directing traffic to available parking lots.
  • General volunteer check-in is at the Volunteer Station in front of the West LA Municipal Buildings, entering off of Corinth Avenue at Idaho Ave.
  • Kitchen volunteer check-in is in the courtyard of Kardia Church – 1637 Butler Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90025 (view map »)
  • WEDNESDAY SETUP: If you are volunteering to help with setup on Wednesday, there is very limited parking behind the West LA Civic Center, entering off of Iowa Ave, or look for street parking. Or there may be limited street parking on Butler Ave. near Kardia Church, if you are volunteering in the kitchen.

Stoner Park Event:
Our satellite pop-up event takes place at Stoner Recreation Center, 1835 Stoner Ave., Los Angeles, 90025
[view map »]

  • If you registered to volunteer at Stoner Park, the parking lot is located off of Missouri Ave, between Stoner Ave and Westgate Ave.

If you have read through our FAQs here, and checked the other pages, and still feel that your questions have not been answered, feel free to contact us for more information. Please note, volunteer signups are not taken via our contact form. For everything related to volunteering, please check our Volunteer page frequently.

For more information you can also check our Facebook, Instagram, or X feeds (see links in footer).

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