The Goodman Community Center is holding its annual Thanksgiving basket drive and asking for community support to feed 4,000 families on Thanksgiving.
Those interested in helping can give a monetary donation to the nonprofit organization to purchase perishable groceries. In addition, shelf-stable groceries and frozen turkeys can be donated at the Goodman Community Center.
Members of the community are also welcome to host a food drive or fundraiser and volunteer.
The community-wide effort has been going on for 37 years. Food left over from the event will be available in Goodman’s food pantry. Leftover funds support other Goodman programs.
“We estimate that a total of 25,000 people will benefit from the baskets, many of them children,” Florence Edwards-Miller, Goodman director of communications and annual giving, said. “In addition to feeding those people, the Thanksgiving Basket Drive gives us an opportunity to talk with the community about the ongoing problem of food insecurity.
“Many are aware of the most recent issues with SNAP benefits, but fewer know that even before those cuts started, we were already seeing all-time high levels of demand in our food pantry. Rising prices and slashed benefits have meant that more and more people in our community are struggling.”
