From the Desk of Letesha Nelson

Dear friends & neighbors,

Where I come from, food is love. Every major moment is marked by a big family meal, and of course, for the holidays, we do it up right. When I was a kid, it was my mom in the kitchen. Now that I'm a mom and grandma, it's me cooking up the turkey and dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy.

Most of us have similar traditions and memories, and you may be planning for your own Thanksgiving feast already. For many in our community, those plans are more fraught. They're not sure if they'll be able to afford a big family meal. Or maybe they are sure that they won't be able to pull it off this year.

Our Thanksgiving Basket Drive, a tradition in its 34th year, will ensure that at least 4,000 of those families know where their holiday groceries are coming from: Us.

We can't let those families down, and we need your help.

This year feels different. In many ways, the pandemic is in our rearview mirror as we look forward to what's ahead. In many other ways, the hardships the last two years brought are still very much with us. Inflation is making things tough – really tough – on families this year. I bet you're feeling it too.

If you can help in any way, a lot of us coming together, doing what we can, will ensure families who need help get a little comfort this holiday season.

What can you do to help? Drop off food donations starting next week, or stretch your dollar even further and make a monetary gift. We'll use the funds to buy perishable items like milk, butter, eggs and rolls, as well as leverage our partnerships to get better prices on the things we need the most.

Together, we'll ensure more than 25,000 of our neighbors in Dane County have a happy Thanksgiving.

With gratitude,

Letesha Nelson, CEO & Executive Director