Dear friends & neighbors,

Where did September go?!? Here we are in the first week of October, and it feels like summer only just ended! At Goodman, the first week of October means we've started to transform our center into Turkey Central.

Thanksgiving Basket Drive Volunteers — Beth Skogen Photography

In just under two months, 4,000 families will come by to pick up their Thanksgiving Basket. It's my absolute favorite weekend of the year because it is a portrait of community care in action. Thanks to our generous community (that includes you!), we've been providing holiday groceries to thousands of families in Dane County for the last 35 years.

Every year, I tell you the need is greater than ever, unfortunately the story is true once again this year. Our food pantry has seen unprecedented numbers since January. We're averaging more than 100 households per day – that's 300+ households each week. These numbers are higher than what we saw during the peak of COVID.

It's not hard to imagine that for so many in our community, a big holiday meal simply won't be in the budget this year.

If you're in a place where you can help out, head on over to our Thanksgiving homepage to learn more about how you can get involved and make a gift. And if you're someone who could use a little help this year, visit that same page starting Oct. 16-27 to register for a basket.

With gratitude,

Letesha Nelson, CEO & Executive Director