Press Release: Goodman Center needs help meeting unprecedented Thanksgiving need

Madison, WI Nov. 14, 2022 – The Goodman Community Center’s Thanksgiving Basket program will begin distributing holiday groceries to more than 4,000 Dane County families this weekend, and they still need help collecting food.

“It’s crunch time for us, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous,” said Francesca Frisque, GCC food pantry manager. “Donations have started been coming in, but we still need a lot of help if we’re going to provide more than 4,000 families with Thanksgiving groceries.”

For the last 34 years, the Goodman Center has provided families from across Dane County with everything they need to make a traditional Thanksgiving meal at home. This year, the center saw unprecedented demand for the baskets, with more than 3,000 families signing up on the first day of registration. By Oct. 28, the center had registered more than 4,000 families for a basket.

“Inflation has been hard on everyone in our community,” said Frisque. “We’ve seen a huge demand on our food pantry since August, so I wasn’t surprised when so many people registered for a basket on that first day. Every year, it feels so important to make sure every family who needs one gets a basket, but this year it feels even more urgent. There’s not a lot of time between today and when the first car shows up. We’re going to need our community’s help for sure.”

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.) during these hours:

• Monday - Tuesday, Nov. 14-15 10am-3pm
• Wednesday - Friday, Nov. 16-18, 10am-7pm
• Saturday - Sunday, Nov. 19-20, 9am-5pm

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.

About the Goodman Community Center

The Goodman Community Center strengthens lives and secures futures throughout the greater Madison area. Located in the heart of Madison’s Atwood neighborhood, GCC offers programs for preschoolers through teens, families, individuals and older adults. The Goodman Center has on-site childcare services, including fully licensed and accredited preschool, 4K and elementary after-school programs, as well as a teen center that offers after-school activities and employment opportunities for teens. The center’s food pantry serves more than 200 households a week and is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and they also offer meals, social activities and health and wellness opportunities for seniors. Accessibility is a top priority of the Goodman Center, and as such most of the center’s programs are free or priced to be very affordable, including access to its fitness center, catering services and community spaces.

Every year in November, the Goodman Center hosts its Thanksgiving Basket Drive, when they collect donations to provide thousands of Dane County families with everything they need to make a Thanksgiving meal at home.

Learn more at goodmancenter.org or find Goodman on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.