Itinerary / Giving Back

Thanksgiving can be about more than turkey and shopping. Check out these places where giving thanks means giving back to the community.

Today

There’s no need to spend the holiday alone. The Laugh Factory continues its tradition of helping the community in the form of free Thanksgiving dinners and comedy shows all day. “Don’t worry if you don’t have reservations,” says Laugh Factory spokesperson Nancy Clark. “We won’t turn anyone away.” Seatings at 1, 3, 5 and 7 p.m. 8001 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, (213) 656-1336.

Friday Evening

The Salvation Army Harbor Lights Center is holding its annual Thanksgiving feeding for the homeless at 8 p.m. Assistant Chaplin Robert Ingram says the center will accept volunteers “up until 8 p.m. when the dinner starts. Anyone who wants to help out, we’ll welcome them.” Open since 1948, the center houses a residential treatment program for recovering alcoholics and drug addicts. 809 E. 5th St., downtown, (213) 626-4786. To find other L.A. places in need of volunteers, call the Volunteer Center of Los Angeles at (310) 215-1039.

Saturday

Gather some kids and head to the Fifth Annual Winter Wonderland. Sponsored by the Youth n’ Play literacy program, this festival will treat kids to hills of snow, rides, storytelling, music, crafts, a tree-lighting ceremony and a holiday parade. Youth n’ Play reaches 3,000 at-risk children annually with its program of reading, math and computer literacy. Admission is free; proceeds from food and gift purchases will aid the group’s effort to secure a larger facility. 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m., Rancho Cienega Park, 5001 Rodeo Road (one block east of La Brea Avenue at Martin Luther King Boulevard). The parade begins at 6 p.m. at the corner of Hillcrest Drive and Martin Luther King Boulevard. (213) 694-2548.

Or, if you’re in the La Verne area, Mrs. Nelson’s Toy and Book Shop will have a holiday tree trimmed and ready for toy donations. At 11 a.m., join Jenny Wilkie for a “Storytime Tree Trimming Party” a free Christmas tree ornament craft. All ages and parents welcome. 1030 Bonita Ave., La Verne.(909) 599-4558.

Sunday

For holiday shopping with a heart, visit Skid Row Access Inc. This nonprofit company was started by a group of Skid Row residents in 1991 as a means for individuals to design, produce and market their own creative products as a way to become self-sufficient. Products--including toys, jewelry and crafts--made by Skid Row residents are marketed through a nationwide mail-order catalog and now, through a store. Skid Row Access Inc. store, Westside Pavilion Expansion area, third floor, 10850 Pico Blvd. at Westwood. (310) 475-8627. Open daily through Dec. 24.

Planning on buying a Christmas tree this weekend? Proceeds from sales at seven local sites go to Delancey Street, a national nonprofit organization that provides food, clothing and education to recovering drug and alcohol abusers. Sites include the corner of Pico and Cloverfield boulevards in Santa Monica; the corner of Doheny Drive and Santa Monica Boulevard in Beverly Hills; and the corner of Washington Place and Sepulveda Boulevard in Culver City. (213) 662-4888 for other sites.

If you attend a preview performance of Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” at South Coast Repertory (Saturday-Dec. 7), bring a nonperishable food item for the theater’s food drive. Donations will be given to the AIDS Services Foundation/Orange County to be distributed during the holiday season to shut-ins with AIDS. Tuesday-Friday, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, noon and 4 p.m. $14-$36. 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, (714) 708-5555.