Staff at the Goodman Community Center are calling on the community to help them fill their gym with all the food they need to provide more than 4,000 Thanksgiving Baskets to Dane County families. And they’re asking donors to do it by Friday, according to a press release.
“After the first day of distribution last year, we’d run out of food in a few categories, and in many others, we were dangerously low,” said Francesca Frisque, Goodman Center food pantry assistant director. “It was super stressful, and we really don’t want to face that situation again this year.”
Last year on Saturday afternoon, after realizing the piles of cooking oil, gravy and broth weren’t going to last, the center put out a call for food donations on its social media channels and via email. The community responded, with hundreds of people dropping off food throughout the day on Sunday. Thanks to the generosity of the community, everyone who needed a Basket received one, and the center was even able to hand out extras.
For the last 35 years, the Goodman Center has provided families from across Dane County with everything they need to make a traditional Thanksgiving meal at home, a feat that’s possible thanks to the generosity of donors, corporate sponsors, and volunteers from across the community. This year, the center saw unprecedented need for the Baskets and were forced to close registration early for only the second time in the program’s history.
The Goodman Center updates a Canned Food Countdown on their website, goodmancenter.org, as well as their Facebook and Instagram accounts. Community members who would like to donate food are encouraged to check those lists throughout the week to see what is still needed.
Food donations can be dropped off at the Goodman Center gym, 149 Waubesa St., all week during these hours: Monday–Friday, Nov. 13–17, 10 a.m.–7 p.m.
Those who can’t drop off food can make a financial gift online at goodmancenter.org/donate. The center will shop for last-minute needs later in the week.
