Thanksgiving Basket Donations

press release: Nov. 20 update:

With just two days remaining before the Goodman Community Center is scheduled to distribute nearly 4,000 Thanksgiving baskets to area families in need, the Center is behind schedule with fundraising and food collections goals.  While Goodman expects many donations from food drives to arrive before Saturday, it still needs over 20,000 canned and dry goods to fill every basket.  Almost 500 more financial gifts were made by this time last year, limiting the Center’s ability to purchase items needed to reach the additional 500 families registered to receive a basket this year.  4,000 families will be a record for number of families Goodman serves, totaling more than 23,000 Dane County residents including over 11,000 children.

We have reached a desperate stage, and need food donations and financial contributions so we can purchase in bulk with established partners. While donated canned goods go directly into the baskets, financial donations are used to buy perishable items like turkeys, dairy products, fresh vegetables and canned goods in bulk (at discounted rates) to fill in the gaps.

To check what canned foods are still needed, please visit our website at www.goodmancenter.org for updated daily totals. Please bring your donations to the Goodman Community Center as soon as possible. We prefer all food donations are delivered by Saturday, Nov. 23 to ensure they get packed in baskets — Donations will be accepted through Monday, November 25.

The Center is packing baskets now and will be distributing them to families this Saturday, Nov. 23 through Monday, Nov. 25.

Here’s what’s still needed:

• 1,100 Frozen turkeys
• 4,548 - Vegetables (cans)
• 6,170 - Fruit (cans)
• 3,019 - Mac & cheese (boxes)
• 1,955 Gravy (jars)
• 3,428 Cranberry sauce (cans)
• 3,850 Broth, any kind (cans)
• 3,515 Stuffing (boxes)
• 3,650 Aluminum roaster pans

HOW TO HELP:

Donate Food – Frozen turkeys and all non-perishable items listed above. Disposable roasting pans are also needed.

Make a Financial Contribution – Donations of money help us purchase turkeys and perishable items such as milk, eggs, butter, carrots, potatoes, onions. It also helps us buy in bulk at discounted rates, making financial gifts stretch further and provide more. Donations are accepted online, at Goodman or by mail.

The Goodman Community Center gym will be open for food donation drop-offs through Monday, Nov. 25 (the earlier, the better.)

• Thursday, November 21 » 11 am–8 pm
• Friday, November 22 » 11 am-8 pm
• Saturday-Monday, November 23-25 » 9 am–5 pm

The Goodman Community Center is the largest community center in Dane County. The center offers many programs to strengthen the lives of preschoolers through teens, meals and social activities for older adults, a food pantry, a gymnasium and fitness center, catering services and community space. For more information about the Center, visit goodmancenter.org.