New York Ranks #5 for Giving Back This Thanksgiving

New study ranks which U.S. states are giving the most this Thanksgiving.

Giving back for Thanksgiving can involve volunteering at a soup kitchen, donating to food banks, or participating in a local food or clothing drive. Other ideas include making a meal for a family in need or performing small acts of kindness, like buying a coffee for someone behind you in line.

Also See: City of Poughkeepsie Announces Details for Popular Festival of Lights

Ways to Volunteer and Donate

Serve meals: Volunteer at a local soup kitchen or shelter to serve meals to those in need. Organizations like Feeding America have many Thanksgiving-related opportunities.
Donate food or supplies: Organize a food drive at your workplace or school, or donate directly to a food bank. Consider donating needed items like canned goods, boxed meals, or fresh produce.
Create a meal kit: Assemble a Thanksgiving meal basket for a family in need. You could include items like a turkey, stuffing, or canned goods.
Support essential workers: Find local programs that are providing meals to frontline and essential workers. Some programs also accept donations of personal protective equipment (PPE).

Other Ways to Help

Visit seniors: Bring baked goods or flowers to a local retirement home, or simply spend time talking with residents who may be alone during the holidays.

Pay it forward: Buy a coffee for the person behind you at a drive-thru or pay for someone's groceries.

Do a community service project: Organize a family-friendly project, like raking leaves for a neighbor or cleaning up a local park.

As Thanksgiving approaches, many of us are thinking about food, family, and football. But it's also a time to reflect on generosity and giving back.

The team at Hard Rock Bet set out to uncover which U.S. states are giving the most this Thanksgiving. We analyzed four key factors: Feeding America food bank numbers, formal volunteer rates, charitable contribution tax deductions, and Google search interest in ‘giving’ terms across the past year.

And, New York took the #5 spot for giving back this Thanksgiving. Here’s why:

The state has 10 Feeding America food banks, ranking 4th nationwide.
Almost 1 in 4 New Yorkers are formal volunteers.
In the past year, the state saw 65,800 searches for terms such as 'volunteer opportunities near me', showing a strong desire to give back.

Here's a look at the top states:

Get our free mobile app

Rank	State	No. of Food Banks	Volunteer Rate	Charitable Contribution Deductions	Search Demand for ‘Giving’ Terms	Total 'Giving Score' (Out of 10)
1	California	17	23.2	2,297,460	123,400	69.96
2	Texas	17	25.9	825,220	125,300	56.78
3	Indiana	24	32.4	133,970	36,770	44.78
4	Ohio	12	31.2	237,720	60,970	37.16
5	New York	10	23.8	830,520	65,800	35.58
6	Pennsylvania	9	31.7	353,880	48,480	33.26
7	Florida	8	20.8	640,050	83,500	32.16
8	Illinois	4	29.9	429,910	64,980	30.52
9	Utah	1	47	175,420	14,480	30.51
10	Virginia	6	32.1	463,090	33,580	28.71
11	Washington	2	31.8	314,520	58,210	27.60
12	Minnesota	4	40.3	202,520	12,180	27.17
13	North Carolina	7	28.3	325,260	41,360	26.24
14	Colorado	4	33.9	254,800	31,800	25.68
15	Georgia	7	25.1	462,320	43,610	25.18

5 Major Retailers in New York Will Be Closed on Thanksgiving

These five major retailers in New York State have announced they will be closed on Thanksgiving in 2023.

The Best and Worst Days to Drive for Thanksgiving

Gallery Credit: CANVA/IL

Thanksgiving 101: How To Keep Your Dogs Safe

This Thanksgiving make sure to keep your pets safe! From food they can and can NOT eat, to house safety tips and more, here’s how you can keep your dogs safe this Thanksgiving.

Gallery Credit: Canva