Thursday is Thanksgiving and that means not just balloon-filled parades and massive meals—it also means it is time for the annual moment where Americans across the country go "Oh, crap, we should probably give some food, time or money to the needy." But do note: as most sitcoms should have taught you by now, food pantries really need your help on days that aren't Thanksgiving or Christmas. And if you want to to give food, well, there are lots of things you probably shouldn't be giving. Like sugary drinks and junk food. more ›

The Egyptian banking executive who was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a maid at the Pierre Hotel decided to plead guilty. Mahmoud Abdel Salam Omar entered the plea yesterday and was sentenced to five days community service. His lawyer said he completed the community service already (soup kitchen work) and the plea was "the most expeditious way" for him to return to his ailing wife. more ›

Last month, Caroline Giuliani was sentenced to a day of community service as part of her sentence for shoplifting about $100 of products from an Upper East Side Sephora store. And according to the Daily News' sources, America's Mayor's daughter completed her duty on Wednesday. more ›

Now that a judge has sentenced Caroline Giuliani to a day of community service for shoplifting at an Upper East Side Sephora, what exactly is will America's Mayor's daughter be doing? The Post reports that while the Harvard student "has reportedly been estranged from her famous father for years, she'll now be following in his footsteps by working for the city. A knowledgeable source said she'll do her community service for the Sanitation Department, where she'll likely clean toilets and mop floors at the agency's garage on Pier 36." Pier 36 is where Naomi Campbell completed her community service stint three years ago. more ›

The news producer who pleaded guilty to trying to blackmail David Letterman for $2 million was sentenced to 6 months in prison and 1,000 hours of community service today. According to the Daily News, "To wile away the months, Halderman brought along a Bible and a thriller by Stieg Larsson called 'The Girl Who Played With Fire.'" His lawyer Gerald Shargel said, "He's been to every hot spot in the world, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia. I think he can handle Rikers Island." more ›

NY is building membership for a city-wide skills share program to encourage service and volunteerism. Participants will ante up their own talents, bike repair, say, and then get a credit to take the lesson of their choosing. The Time Bank, as it's called, will cover a great range of talents and activities, which, in commune or co-op fashion, will be purchased with its own currency, "time dollars." What's next, name tags? more ›

Last February Bethesda Terrace was vandalized! The taggers were promptly arrested for spray-painting on the murals and pillars — damages that would cost around $40,000 to repair. Now the NY Post reports the graf-happy trio struck a plea deal yesterday. They won't be going to jail, but rather they'll perform 200 hours of community service cleaning Central Park's horse stables. The lawyer for one of the teens, Victoria Beniaminova, told the paper: "The Central Park Conservancy insisted that their community service be shoveling shit in the stables. It beats going to prison." more ›

Joseph Petcka, a 205-pound former minor league baseball player who killed a former girlfriend's 7-pound cat in 2007, avoided jail time and probation after completing 500 hours of community service. During a trial last year, Petcka had claimed Norman the orange cat attacked him while he was in a drunken mood, provoking him into beating the feline to death. more ›

The 29-year-old Mets fan who christened Citi Field in May by being the first to streak the new stadium is filled with bitterness and remorse. Craig Coakley brought joy to millions when he dashed out onto the field during a Mets-Braves game wearing just a thong with a monkey covering his junk. But it was all downhill from there: six months later, his euphoria long dissipated, the diehard Mets fan is all washed up. more ›

Back in March, Real Housewife Kelly Bensimon was charged with beating up her boyfriend. But now her record will be wiped clean if she serves two days of community service and stays on the straight and narrow. Bensimon said she was pleased with the deal, "Justice was served." While battered boyfriend Nicholas Stefanov previously said he'd like to get back together, Bensimon said that's not happening, repeating her lawyer's earlier refrain that she was trying to get him to leave her apartment (hence pushing him so hard that he told the tabloids, "My injuries are worse than Rihanna's - and Chris Brown was charged with two felonies"). The Columbia graduate also posed the ultimate Deep Thought, "Is it good for your career when bad things happen to good people?" more ›

Finally, would-be Empire State Building stunt jumper Jeb Corliss is at the end of his nearly three-year-long legal nightmare. In 2006 he attempted to jump from the building with a parachute, but his plan was foiled by security at the last minute. Since then he's been in and out of court, and more recently he was convicted, meaning he could face years behind bars. Well, yesterday was judgement day, and following Alain Robert's slap on the wrist, Corliss was "sentenced to three years of probation and 100 hours of community service," which he is allowed to serve out in his hometown of Malibu, California. No doubt a relief for the stuntman; when he was first facing a judge in 2006 he had said, "I live in a country whose motto is 'Land of the free.' I don't feel very free here." This time around Corliss called the judge: "a wonderful man." more ›

While climbers #2 and 3, Renaldo Clarke and David Malone, were indicted for scaling the New York Times building earlier this year and currently face up to a year in prison, climber #1, Alain Robert, has received a slap on the wrist. With a grand jury rejecting criminal charges this summer, he pleaded guilty yesterday to disorderly conduct (which has no criminal record attached), and was fined $250 and three days community service. more ›

We're at Columbia University for the ServiceNation Summit. Security is tight--university entrances are closed to students and Columbia employees only--and students are sitting outside to watch a livefeed of the forum in the middle of campus. The forum with Barack Obama and John McCain will air at 8 p.m. on CNN, MSNBC, and some PBS stations. You can also watch it online at the ServiceNation website. more ›

Columbia University president Lee Bollinger confirmed that presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama will appear together at the university for a forum sponsored by ServiceNation. The Columbia Spectator describes ServiceNation as a "non-partisan coalition devoted to increasing the commitment of citizens to public service to 100 million people by 2010." more ›

DOS police lieutenant John Fitzgerald is a 24-year vet who's better known as the guy who ended up carrying Naomi Campbell's bag when she reported for day two of her community service last year. And now he's stepping out of the model's shadow. more ›

In exchange for guilty pleas on a number of charges including assault of a fan, assault of his chauffer, driving with a suspended license and DUI, rap star Busta Rhymes avoided jail time and was sentenced yesterday to 10 days of community service. Sadly, we’ll be denied the publicity circus that swirled around Boy George and Naomi Campbell during their very public community services; Rhymes will have the privilege of choosing his own method of service at a “private, court-approved location.” (Will there be an after-party?) He’ll also pay fines and court costs amounting to – yes this figure you're about to read is correct – $1,510. more ›