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The Gift of Giving

From soup kitchens to cooking classes, here are a few ways to lend a helping hand.

Wednesday Nov 08, 2006.     By Jessica Herman

Lifestyle Feed

Be thankful for Centerstage's Thanksgiving Guide
Dine Out ~ Get Takeout ~ Learn To Cook
Drink on the Eve ~ Pair with Wine ~ We are Thankful

At a time when our thoughts (and tummies) are full of cranberry-coated dreams and stuffed tofurkey dinners, we remember just how lucky we are to have food on the table every day of the year. There's hardly a more appropriate time to start helping others enjoy that same fortune? We handpicked a few organizations where you can lend a hand in the kitchen, the classroom or the cafeteria. And if you don't find a spot that suits your schedule, check out Greater Chicago Food Depository; there's a whole lot more where these came from.

Common Threads Located at a few spots around town (including Gallery 37, the South Shore Cultural Center and Kendall College on Goose Island), Common Threads Cooking Program draws kids from across the city who are interested in learning about food and nutrition through hands-on, educational cooking classes after school. (The organization offers scholarships to students who qualify for the free or reduced lunch program.) As for volunteer opportunities, Common Threads asks for assistance in the kitchen, the classroom (both cooking and helping with exercise and nutrition instruction) and maintaining Common Threads' organic World Garden.

Deborah's Place In addition to lending a hand with arts and crafts projects, tutoring and fundraising, groups of volunteers (generally three to four) can help to prepare and serve a meal for the women of Deborah's Place. Meals are hosted at a transitional housing program facility as well as a daytime support center.

Inspiration Cafe Among the many services offered to the homeless community, Uptown's Inspiration Cafe offers restaurant-style meals seven days a week. (The café serves breakfast daily and dinner on Monday and Wednesday nights.) Volunteers may opt to contribute by cooking, serving, creating bag lunches or showing individuals how to lead healthier lives by teaching their area of expertise, such as massage therapy, yoga or nutrition.

Kids Cafe at Little Black Pearl One of several locations around the city that hosts the Kids Café, the Little Black Pearl offers a space where kids can lunch, surf the Internet before heading into an art class or math tutoring session. The volunteer's role depends on the cafe's needs, the Little Black Pearl offers a space where kids can lunch together before heading into an art class or math tutoring session. The volunteer's role depends on the cafe's needs for the day. In addition, the center welcomes folks to contribute to the creation of commissioned art projects as a form of fundraising or help with event coordinating.

The Greater Chicago Food Depository The Greater Chicago Food Depository asks for volunteers to help load produce onto delivery trucks from 6-8 a.m. on weekday mornings or stock its grocery on weekday afternoons from 1-3 p.m. There's also ample opportunity for group bonding through volunteer experiences; the Depository hosts groups of up to 50 people to help re-pack food.