How to watch the Parks and Recreation special to benefit Feeding America

It’s a Parks and Recreation reunion on NBC as Leslie Knope, Ron Swanson and the gang reunite for a Parks and Rec special to raise money for Feeding America.

Leslie Knope, Ron Swanson and the gang from Pawnee, Indiana has reunited for a special episode of Parks and Recreation to raise money for Feeding America. The Parks and Rec special airs Thursday night at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC and will be available on demand the next day.

The special marks the first episode of scripted TV to address the real-world current events of social distancing due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. The Parks and Rec special will focus on Leslie as our favorite civil servant goes about her workday all while trying to stay connected to her friends in a time when everyone is social distancing.

All your favorites from Parks and Recreation will return for the special, including Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Pratt, Adam Scott, Rob Lowe, Jim O’Heir, and Retta. Further, you can expect a few cameos from the other characters from Pawnee who helped make Parks and Recreation one of the best comedies of all time.

“Like a lot of other people, we were looking for ways to help and felt that bringing these characters back for a night could raise some money,” said executive producer Michael Schur in a statement. “I sent a hopeful email to the cast and they all got back to me within 45 minutes. Our old ‘Parks and Rec’ team has put together one more 30-minute slice of (quarantined) Pawnee life and we hope everyone enjoys it. And donates!”

“In such uncertain times, we can’t think of anyone better than Leslie Knope to unite our country with her unbridled enthusiasm and compassion,” said Lisa Katz and Tracey Pakosta, Co-Presidents of Scripted Programming, NBC Entertainment. “A huge thank you to Mike Schur and the cast of ‘Parks and Recreation’ for putting this wonderful special together and bringing a smile to all our faces while raising money for such a worthwhile cause.”

You can check out a clip from the Parks and Rec special below

Besides the great news that comes with a bonus episode of Parks and Recreation, the reason behind this reunion is to raise money for Feeding America, the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States.

State Farm and Subaru of America are making matching donations of $150,000 and combined with NBCUniversal and the writers/producers/cast of Parks and Recreation, $500,000 in matching donations will be made through May 21.

How to donate to Feeding America on behalf of Parks and Recreation

Collectively, NBC, the cast, writers and producers and sponsors Subaru and State Farm are giving $500K in matching donations. Donate at www.feedingamerica.org/ parksandrec to ensure that every donation is counted towards our match.

If you’re able to donate, please consider a donation to help those in need. It’s what Leslie would want. It’s what we all would want. If you’re not able to donate right now, please consider watching the special to support and to spread the word to those who may be able to donate so we can all do our part to help those in need.

How to watch the Parks and Recreation special

• What: Parks and Recreation Special
• When: 8:30 p.m. ET
• Where: NBC
• Streaming (beginning May 1): NBC app, Hulu, Peacock, YouTube