Thanksgiving Basket Donations
Beth Skogen
A person in a turkey suit carrying a turkey.
The Goodman turkey helps load groceries into cars on distribution day in 2021.
Each November, the Goodman Community Center assembles meal kits for a full Thanksgiving dinner for Dane County families, and this year more than 4,000 households are signed up (the deadline was Oct. 28) and will begin picking up kits on Friday. That's a lot of turkeys and other items to collect, and you can be a part of it by donating food items from the list or money by Nov. 20; find an updated list of items still needed at goodmancenter.org/thanksgiving. Donations can be dropped off at the Goodman gym from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursday-Friday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday.
media release: Thanksgiving basket registration closed early this year, due to overwhelming demand. We can't fill all those baskets without YOU! Each year our community turns out with volunteer hours, food donations and monetary gifts to help us collect and distribute everything needed to make a Thanksgiving meal at home. Read on for all the ways you can help.
1. Make a financial gift. Your monetary donation helps us provide fresh foods in each basket. We purchase fresh groceries like veggies, milk, butter, eggs and pumpkin pie, and we’ll purchase items to fill in any gaps, including turkeys. If we receive gifts that exceed the need for Thanksgiving, they will go toward general support of Goodman, ensuring we can continue to strengthen lives and secure futures in our community.
2. Donate Food. We rely on your food donations to meet our goals. Donations can be dropped off at the Goodman Community Center, during the following times:
- Monday - Friday, Nov. 13-17 10am-7pm (Goodman gym)
- Saturday - Sunday, Nov. 18-19, 9am-5pm (Waubesa Street)
Want to drop off sooner? No problem — stop by our Ironworks building any day during the month of November, 9am-8pm. Please save frozen turkey donations until the week of Nov. 13! Find the grocery list here.
3. Host a Food Drive or Fundraiser. Food drives and fundraisers are a HUGE help. Could you host one at your workplace, faith community, club or neighborhood — or raise money through your online community? Our food drive kit has posters and shopping lists, a tips sheet, and sample text and images to spread the word virtually. (Don't forget to let us know you're hosting a drive by filling out the form!)
4. Give Your Time. It takes a lot of volunteers to make Thanksgiving Baskets a success – we'd love to have you join us. Volunteers are needed for numerous tasks to ensure we can fill every basket.
Volunteer spots fill up very quickly. See the spots that are still open. If a shift is interesting but filled, add yourself to the wait list, and you'll be notified if someone cancels.
5. Talk Turkey! Help us spread the word about our Thanksgiving Basket Drive by sharing information with your family, friends and coworkers. We’ve created a handy kit with everything you need to let your network know about this great community effort.
For more information about how you can help contact:
Francesca Frisque, assistant director of food pantry
Amie Hoag, director of communications & annual giving
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