How to Give Back in Astoria This Holiday Season

Of course giving back to our community year-round is so important, but making a concentrated effort during a set period of time is always helpful — and the holiday season is perfect for that! Here are four ways to give back right now in Astoria, and we’ll continue to update it throughout the coming weeks as more opportunities and events are announced!

Donate

There have been so many worthy causes to donate to this year, but along with giving to national movements it’s also important to give monetarily to work being done within our own communities. You may not even realize how many nonprofits are based right in Astoria/Long Island City itself. Here are some that come to mind:

• Ciana
• Zone126
• Hour Children
• Veterans Rebuilding Life
• Helping Hands for the Disabled of NYC
• Take Two NYC
• Queens Libraries

Of course, you can also donate goods. Queens Library is having their annual Canned Food Drive, which supports the Food Bank of NYC, from Nov. 18 through Dec. 7. Help them collect 6,000 lbs of food by dropping off canned and dried goods at a location nearest you. This Queens Chron article also is a great comprehensive list of all the places you can donate food this holiday season.

Volunteer

Ciana, Queens Library, Hour Children and Astoria Park all offer volunteer opportunities for community members as well. There are also other city-wide organizations that have concentrated efforts in Astoria. City Harvest, NYC’s first food rescue organization, hosts “Mobile Markets” twice a month in the Astoria Houses off Astoria Blvd. You can sign up for more info at cityharvest.org/volunteer.

Drink

It’s always great when you can enjoy yourself while giving back, and at The Astorian, they have a special section of “Cocktails for a Cause” that donate a portion of their proceeds to charities. “The Floor is Hot Guava” supports LGBTQ organizations, “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” supports animal abuse prevention, and “Count By Twos & Tie Your Shoes” supports sea turtles. Also, TBD on final details, but Singlecut’s “Give a Pair, Get a Pint” fundraiser for local charity Take Two NYC usually takes place the first week of December.

Shop (Small)

Another great thing you can do which doesn’t even break up your routine too much, is make a concentrated effort to support the local businesses we all enjoy. Buy your morning coffee at a local shop instead of chains, and purchase holiday gifts from local shops and artisans, even if it is more expensive than buying Amazon Prime. It’s worth it because the money you spend here actually goes back into your own community! The annual Shop Small Astoria “Retail Crawl” is a great way to do so, which offers discounts, SWAG bags and more for shopping at participating businesses in Astoria. This year it’s taking place all month long, from Friday, Nov. 3 – Sunday, Dec. 1. Follow Instagram for all of the details.

Also stay tuned for a roundup of all the best holiday markets in the neighborhood this year, which feature goods from local crafters and bakers. 

How are you giving back this holiday season? Let us know and maybe we’ll add it to the list!