Dick’s in My Mouth, originally
uploaded by legalmindedpunk.

All you need now to make your Thanksgiving complete is somebody to organize a touch football game for you. Here’s where you can feast or get help feasting for your Capitol Hill Thanksgiving 2011 — last day to order at some places so get on it. Here are places that can use your donations of time or more in the area. Here are local places where you can shop — and get a deal — this weekend. And, below is a roster of some donation drives underway on the Hill this month. If you know of other worthy efforts, let us know in comments.

• Other Coast ‘Heroes For The Homeless’ coat drive — 721 E Pike

We are partnering with ‘Heroes For The Homeless’ the whole month of November; we are trying to collect 50 coats to their organization to be handed out to the homeless population on Cap Hill.  

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We have a big ‘ol box at the front door and so far we’ve collected about 20 coats.  We would love for our customers to go through their closets and pull out their gently worn jackets – Men’s sizes are the most desirable as even homeless women prefer them for the fit and opportunity to layer. Their website is www.heroesforthehomeless.org 

• LAB5 Fitness food and toy drives — 606 Broadway E

As the holiday season continues, so does our Giving Drive. In December we will be partnering with Toys for Tots to collect gifts for local youth. Keep an eye out at the studio for more information. 

 Our food drive with Northwest Harvest is going fantastic, we’ve collected over 170 lbs, which is over half-way to our goal of 500 lbs. Please help fill the plates and homes of our community. We will continue to collect non-perishable items through the end of November. Thank you to all who have helped. 

• Safeway food drive for Chicken Soup Brigade and the Food Bank at St. Mary’s

We’d love your help getting the word out about an upcoming food drive – Every Bag Counts – at the Safeway grocery stores in Capitol Hill. Best of all, food contributed as a result of the drive will stay local as it will go to Chicken Soup Brigade and the Food Bank at St. Mary’s.

Starting November 16 and running through December 24, Safeway customers can buy a $10 pre-packed bag of food to donate to help feed those struggling with hunger in their neighborhood. The need for food has been steadily on the rise since the start of the recession, and in fact statewide we at Northwest Harvest have seen about a 35% increase in need. The number of Washington families struggling with hunger nearly doubled from 2008-2010 and we now rank 11^th in the nation for hunger. Many people have a visual of what a food bank client looks like. These days, it’s more often than not someone who looks just like them.

The participating Safeway store addresses are:

•  1410 E. John St.

 2201 E. Madison

Teen Feed is organizing basic needs drives (for toiletries and cold weather gear) throughout Seattle in support of homeless youth. Teen Feed works with youth to provide meals and support coordination seven days a week. Most of our meal locations are in the University District area, but the youth we serve and a rich base of supporters are centered in Capitol Hill. 

In particular, the Aria Salon is holding an Annual Socks Drive for Teen Feed. The socks drive welcomes new socks for youth as well as travel-size toiletries and clothing items.