Social Responsibility

Everything But The Turkey

Join hundreds of volunteers the week of Thanksgiving to prepare side dishes with our partners at DC Central Kitchen.

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Overview

Prepare Thanksgiving-themed dishes that will be distributed by DC Central Kitchen.

A signature program of the Edlavitch DCJCC since 1996, Everything But The Turkey (EBTT) brings together hundreds of volunteers to chop, mix, grate, and prepare thousands of servings of festive Thanksgiving dishes for people experiencing food insecurity and homelessness in the DC area in partnership with DC Central Kitchen.

Sign up for a spot to make green beans, kickin’ coleslaw, savory stuffing, collard greens, yummy yams, or apple crumble. No cooking experience necessary!

The presenting sponsor of Everything But The Turkey is the Annette M. and Theodore N. Lerner Family Foundation

frequently asked questions

2024 Details

EBTT registration is now open! If you do not already have one, please make sure to create a My EDCJCC account before registering to ensure a smooth sign-up process.

EBTT Set-Up Crew
Saturday, November 23, 1:00 PM
We need your help setting up for EBTT! This volunteer shift will include sanitizing utensils, measuring spices, organizing materials, and more, and is for volunteers 12 years of age and older.

Young Professionals Program
Sunday, November 24, 11:30 AM
This is a shift just for young professionals (ages 21–45), and includes options to meet others over light brunch before the program and at an off-site after party.

Young Families Program
Sunday, November 24, 10:00-11:15 AM
Presented in partnership with PJ Library, this special program is geared towards families with children ages 3-8 years old.

Community Programs
Sunday, November 24, 4:30–6:00 PM
Monday, November 25, 6:30–8:00 PM
Open to all members of the community—join hundreds of volunteers to prepare Thanksgiving side dishes! Bringing your teen to EBTT? Sign them up for the teens-only Savory Stuffing table on Monday night!

Thank you to our 2024 sponsors!

EBTT is made possible by this generous community of supporters. Please click here to learn more about joining as a sponsor.

Gold

Janet A. Abrams
Nussdorf Family Foundation
Eric and Kathryn Zimmerman

Silver

Cornerstone Research
Tina and Albert Small, Jr.
Wealthspire Advisors

Bronze

Jonathan Edelman

Frequently Asked Questions

Everyone! We invite volunteers of all ages and backgrounds to join us (you don’t have to be Jewish to volunteer).

There is a special program for families with children under 8, a separate shift for young professionals, and two shifts open to everyone. Some of the recipes are not recommended for children under the age of 10, but that will be indicated on the registration page.

New in 2024, we are offering two tables just for teens ages 11-18. Look under Savory Stuffing on Monday night when you are registering!

Yes. We request a tax-deductible program fee of $20 per person to offset the high costs of quality ingredients we use in all of the dishes we make during EBTT.

Please email Mira and she will help you out with registering for this program.

Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate walk-ins for any portion of this event. All participants must register online by the registration deadline.

We are very happy to help! Please email Mira with your needs.

Each table holds 8 people. If you would like to reserve a table, we have sponsorship opportunities available – please email Sonya for more info. Otherwise, all tickets are first-come, first-serve.

The food all goes to DC Central Kitchen, where it is cooked, plated, and sent out to community agencies that serve these meals on Thanksgiving.

Masking is optional at all EDCJCC programs. Please note that there is a large number of volunteers who attend EBTT programs and we want to send everyone off to their Thanksgiving holidays healthy!

Yes! Your support makes it possible for this program to produce over 12,000 servings of Thanksgiving-themed dishes. Any amount helps. Give today.