7 Ways to Volunteer This Holiday Season

Whether it's donating time, money, or food there's always ways to give back to the community during the holiday season, and especially with the free time afforded by Thanksgiving weekend. Here's a few ways you can help those in need in the area during the holidays:

1. Donate Non-Perishable Food and Get a Beauty Service

For every 10 cans donated at Cactus Salon – at and – patrons will receive a free mini-facial through Thanksgiving.  

2. Pronto Long Island

Pronto Long Island is a non-profit community outreach center serving Brentwood, Bay Shore, Central Islip and other Western Suffolk communities. Pronto is always looking for donations, volunteers, and family sponsorships, and it's never too late to give to their Thanksgiving programs. Call 631-231-8290 to donate or learn more about getting involved, or email prontoli@optonline.net.

3. Island Harvest

Island Harvest is always looking for volunteers and donations for the holiday season. Volunteering opportunities include food transportation, supervision, and general volunteering ranging from handing out flyers to collecting food from nearby supermarkets. Click here to sign up and help out.

If you can't find the time to participate, you can always contribute. 7-Elevens throughout the Smithtown area are accepting frozen turkeys and canned or packaged food for LI Harvest, while Citibank, HSBC, McDonalds, and Cactus Salons ONLY accept canned or packaged goods.

4. Smithtown Food Pantry

, located at 90 Edgewood Ave in Smithtown, takes donations Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Volunteers are always needed, even beyond the holiday season. Call 631-265-7676 for more information.

The pantry to those in need, with the help of local school districts, the senior center, town service clubs, and individuals.

5. Brentwood Food Pantries/Soup Kitchens

There are a number of food pantries and soup kitchens serving the nearby Brentwood community that are always looking for volunteers and donations around the holiday season.

Christ Episcopal Food Pantry
155 Third Avenue
Brentwood, NY 11717
Phone: 631-273-9504

Iglesia Roca de Salvacion Food Pantry
65 Bradley Street
Brentwood, NY 11717
Phone: 631-434-1038
Hours of Operation: Mon-Fri (10 a.m. - 2 p.m.)

Thomas I. Connerty Outreach (Food Pantry/Soup Kitchen)
88 Second Avenue
Brentwood, NY 11717
Phone: 631-273-2192
Contact: Thomas Curran
Hours of Operation: Pantry: Mon-Fri (9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.). Soup Kitchen: Sat (11:30 a.m.).

6.       Huntington Community Food Council

Serving the greater Huntington Community and those in need in South Huntington, the Community Food Council takes donations in a food pantry manner. The council welcomes donations, and for more information about times, volunteering, and involvement, call 631-351-1060. The Community food Council is located at 90 E 5th St, Huntington Station, NY 11746.

7. Long Island Cares

Like Island Harvest, Long Island Cares is also always in need of volunteers, especially around the holiday season. Opportunities include everything from administrative, to distribution, to fund raising, and provide hands-on volunteer service within the community. To find out more and register to help, click here.

Long Island Cares will be accepting donations of non-perishable goods at the following nearby locations:

- Islip Public Library, 71 Monell Avenue, Islip.  631-581-5933
- Theresa's Family Cleaning, Rocky Point. 631-744-4021
- Huntington Arts Council, 213 Main Street. 631-271-8423
- Gino's Tuscany, 517 Main Street, Islip. 631-581-9510
- Disc Graphics, 10 Gilpin Avenue, Hauppauge. 631-234-1400
- Huntington Public Library, 338 Main Street. 631-427-5165
- Gathering of Light, 655 Old Country Road, St. Lawrence of Canterbury, Dix Hills. 631-265-3822