Subscribe to our newsletters to get stories like this delivered directly to your inbox.

While many of the organizations below focus on Thanksgiving and the holiday season, it's also worth noting that help is available year-round. The Get Food NYC map is also a handy site to bookmark. You can always locate your nearest food pantry or community kitchen by calling the Emergency Food Hotline at 866-888-8777 or dialing 311.

Where to Find Free Turkey in NYC for Thanksgiving 2025

1. Catholic Charities of New York – Harlem

This organization has an annual tradition of providing free Thanksgiving turkeys and trimmings at the Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Memorial Community Center. Call 888-744-7900 to register and receive details on the date and time of pickup.

Register in advance with the Salvation Army Harlem Temple Corps for a turkey and other delicious Thanksgiving foods, Photo courtesy of the Salvation Army

2. The Salvation Army Harlem Temple Corps – Harlem

This Salvation Army traditionally distributes Thanksgiving turkeys on a weekday prior to Thanksgiving. This year turkeys are distributed on Friday, November 21, at 10am, first-come, first served. Registration is normally required. More information can be found by following its Facebook page.

3. Gardiner Foundation Turkey Giveaway – Fordham, the Bronx

Saturday, November 22, 2025
In past years, this organization has distributed 1,100 free turkeys, plus all the trimmings, to the community through its annual Thanksgiving turkey giveaway. Register online in advance.

West Side Campaign Against Hunger aims to distribute free turkeys and other holiday foods to more than 16,000 families. Photo courtesy of the organization

4. West Side Campaign Against Hunger – Upper West Side

In past years, the West Side Campaign Against Hunger launched the Healthy Foods Holiday Challenge to ensure everyone has access to Thanksgiving meals with their families. It continues the tradition this year, with the goal of serving 12,000 families this November. For information on access to Thanksgiving meals, contact 212-362-3662, or email socialservices@wscah.org closer to Thanksgiving for more details.

5. Masbia Soup Kitchen – Multiple Brooklyn and Queens Locations

This well-known organization operates both a food pantry and a daily takeaway dinner service (more on that below). Families who need food staples can sign up for a once-per-week pantry take-home package. You can get an appointment via the digital breadline on the Plentiful app (as well as at dozens of other food pantries in NYC). As a rule of thumb, pay particular attention to the time (morning or evening) when you book. All goods are first come, first served, and the pantry may have a limited supply of whole turkeys, in addition to raw holiday ingredients like butternut squash, pumpkin, and raw or cooked cranberries.

6. Goke Food Pantry – Brooklyn

Goke Food Pantry aims to give away 1,000 free turkeys this year during its Turkey Drive. Bookmark its website for details on this year's turkey giveaway. The dates have yet to be released.

7. Harlem Grown's Thanksgiving Drive – Harlem

Monday, November 24, 2025
Harlem Grown sponsors a Thanksgiving food drive to create festive Thanksgiving meal kits to distribute to the community. Bags come with a turkey, traditional sides, and fresh produce. A registration link will be shared on its website.

NYC Organizations Offering Hot Thanksgiving Meals

8. DOROT’s Thanksgiving Meal Delivery – Upper West Side

Sunday, November 23, 2025
DOROT delivers homemade Thanksgiving meals to homebound seniors citywide during Thanksgiving week and seeks volunteers to pick up and deliver the meals to each senior's door, then, call or visit the senior to share holiday wishes. Volunteers must be age 18+ or families with children ages 10-17 who commit to following DOROT's safety guidelines. If you know a senior who could benefit from DOROT's aid, call 212-769-2850.

9. Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen – Chelsea

Thursday, November 27, 2025
On Thanksgiving Day and the day after, Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen hosts a family-style sit-down Thanksgiving dinner inside the church that is open to anyone who comes to the door. Each year, the soup kitchen serves approximately 400 guests a traditional Thanksgiving meal that includes turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, apple pie, rolls with butter, apple cider, and more. The meal service is available between 10:30am and 12:30pm each day. Before Thanksgiving, it also gives out around 750 free turkeys to pantry guests.

10. Xavier Mission Thanksgiving Dinner – Chelsea

Thursday, November 27 and Sunday, November 30, 2025
While this meal is traditionally geared toward the elderly and disabled, no one is turned away from the holiday celebration. A second Thanksgiving Welcome Table lunch is traditionally served the Sunday following the holiday, too.

Masbia's kosher pantry distributes tons of supplies to needy neighbors. Photo courtesy of Masbia

11. Masbia – Multiple Locations

Masbia's emergency food program operates three facilities in Flatbush, Forest Hills, and Boro Park. The organization serves more than 2 million meals each year. All who are hungry are welcome to eat dinner Monday through Thursday, from 3-8pm. Thanksgiving favorites will be served during the holiday week. A ready-to-eat, hot turkey dinner is served on Thanksgiving Day and most likely the day before, too. Masbia also distributes take-home packages every day (only by appointment), Monday and Tuesday, 9am-8pm; Wednesday and Thursday, 11am-11pm; and Friday, 7am-2pm.

12. The Bowery Mission – Multiple Locations

Thursday, November 27, 2025
The Bowery Mission hosts its 145th Thanksgiving dinner in 2025. Warm Thanksgiving plates are given to all those in need. All hot Thanksgiving meals are served on-site at the Bowery Mission's historic chapel. Both indoor and outdoor seating is available. Hot breakfast is also served at this location prior to the traditional Thanksgiving Day meal. 

13. North Brooklyn Angels – Multiple Brooklyn Locations

Thursday, November 27, 2025
The North Brooklyn Angels sponsors a multi-day event dubbed Neighbors Giving Thanks, which utilizes the volunteer efforts of 100 local volunteers to provide a dignified Thanksgiving to neighbors in need. This year it plans to distribute 1,000 holiday meals from Monday-Wednesday of Thanksgiving week and serve a hot Thanksgiving meal to 600 guests on Thanksgiving Day.

Originally published in November 2020