There’s something irresistibly cozy about crisp Hill air, falling leaves, and the way Thanksgiving makes you want to snuggle up and reflect on what truly matters. This year, why not turn that warm feeling into action by volunteering or giving back together as your date activity? Giving back doesn’t just feel good, it lets you build memories that linger longer than pumpkin pie. Here are some local and heartwarming ways to pair your love for each other with love for the community.
1) Food Pantries & Community Kitchen~ Nourish Love by Feeding Neighbors
Waco’s community food pantries and community kitchen are the perfect place for a giving back date that’s satisfying in more ways than one. Grab your sweetheart and head to your local grocery store where you can fill a cart together with non-perishable food items to donate to the food pantry of your choice. Many Waco food pantries are also looking for volunteers to help sort donations, stock shelves, and assist with distribution. Waco Caritas and The Shepard’s Heart are great food banks. The Salvation Army Community Kitchen is a perfect spot to volunteer to help serve a warm meal to those in need. When you feed others, your love grows!
2) Animal Shelters~ Snuggle & Save Lives
If your hearts melt at puppy eyes or kitten purrs, Waco’s animal rescues are calling. Volunteer together at one of the animal rescues where you can walk dogs, help with cleaning, and give some cute animals a bath together. As their tails wag, your hearts will grow! Depending on your circumstances, you may even be able to foster or adopt a rescue animal together. Pet Circle, Fuzzy Friends Rescue, and the Humane Society of Central Texas are incredible animal shelters in Waco. If you don’t have time to volunteer, these shelters all appreciate and desperately need donations! So you can still help out by heading to the store, grabbing a cart, and filling it together with pet supplies to donate to the shelter of your choice. Whether you’re volunteering together or making a donation, it’s the purrfect way to show some love and do some good together.
3) Senior Support~ Serve Up Warmth & Connection
Thanksgiving is the season to honor wisdom, and Waco offers heartfelt ways for couples to lend a hand to seniors. Meals on Wheels Waco delivers meals to homebound older adults, offers social interaction, and often needs volunteers to help with meal delivery or friendly visits. Friends for Life matches homebound seniors with phone friends to help keep them from feeling isolated. You can even Adopt-a-Grandparent through Friends for Life. If you simply don’t have time to volunteer, both organizations accept donations to help with the costs of their amazing programs. Offering companionship to a senior is a great way to open your hearts.
Thanksgiving is all about thanks, but what if we turned that thanks into action? Volunteering or making a donation together in Waco not only strengthens your bond, it also makes your love story part of something bigger. So grab your sweetheart, roll up those sleeves, and let’s spread the kind of gratitude that lights up the world.
