Although we write a lot about indulging ourselves in food, drinks and sweets, sometimes it feels even better to do stuff that's good for others. Here are a few ways you can lend a hand in the next couple of weeks to people who really need it.

Saturday, August 7th:

A Place at the Table @ St. Anthony's Emergency Food Assistance Program is staking out the Tenderloin this Saturday to provide food for the homeless and low-income families in the area. You must be at least 17 to help register guests or pack and pass out bags of groceries to those in need. This project occurs each month thanks to HandsOn Bay Area, so if this day fills up, there will be more on the horizon to help. Sign up here.

If you'd rather help out the environment, drive up to Lake Merritt in Oakland this Saturday, where HandsOn Bay Area is spending the morning cleaning up the shore and waterway to make sure the lake's ecosystem is thriving and enjoyable for all. This is a great event to bring your kids to. Sign up here.

Saturday, August 14:

SF Chefs 2010 Fork It Over Foodraiser is showcasing over 25 Bay Area chefs, including Chris Cosentino, Gary Danko, Emily Luchetti, Melissa Perello and tons more, in a sustainable food festival in Union Square benefitting the Golden Gate Restaurant Association Scholarship Foundation, which helps students acheive their culinary dreams by helping to send them to school. There will also be a silent auction, in which proceeds go to the SF Food Bank. Get tickets here.

The Streetcart Wars event is a totally cool way to donate to the SF Food Bank. On the shores of Lake Merced, because all you have to do to contribute is eat! Some of the most chased-after street food carts in the city, like Bahn Mi Four Ways and Adobo Hobo, will be duking it out to be declared the best. Visitors, who should defintiely dress warmly, will be given 12 food tickets to redeem for dozens of yummies, starting at noon. Celebrity chef Dave Cruz from Ad Hoc in Yountville will also be cooking at the event! Click here for ticket info.

Sunday, August 15:

The dessert-centric event in conjunction with SF Chefs 2010, the 10th Annual Dessert First party is happening at the Intercontinental Hotel in downtown San Francisco. Some of the city's most renowned pastry and dessert chefs will be there whipping up sweet delicacies, like Absinthe's Louis Villavelazquez, Baker & Banker's Lori Baker, and Boulevard's Jessica Sullivan, and there will be plenty of wine and hors d'oeuvres to go around. All proceeds go to Project Open Hand, an organization that provides meals to homebound seniors and people with serious illnesses. Get tickets here.

Photo via PLC.Doctor on Flickr.com