Basin Area Food Pantry hopes families will “adopt” a Thanksgiving Food Basket

The Basin Area Food Pantry and Basin Salvation Army are changing up their food collection strategies for this year’s Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets. While food and monetary donations will be taken as normal, they are hoping a new “adoption” concept will broaden community involvement. 

Canvas bags donated by Security State Bank will be available for pickup at the Basin branch as well as at Healing Touch, also in Basin. Attached to the bags are a list of items requested for a Thanksgiving dinner for a family of four. The items are all non-perishables; however, should a family want to donate a turkey as well, that would be welcomed, according to food pantry volunteer Lori Thon. 

Filled bags may be dropped off at Security State Bank or the foyer of the Basin Area Chamber. Those that want to include a turkey will need to make arrangement with Thon to meet at the pantry so the bird may be refrigerated until the baskets are given out. The idea to have a family
“adopt” a bag came from the First Lady of Wyoming’s Hunger Initiative Summit earlier this month. Attendees discussed how to get children and parents working together to make a difference to those experiencing food insecurity. 

Food insecurity is defined as “a household’s economic and social condition wherein there is limited or uncertain access to adequate food.” Those households are the ones the pantry is providing the baskets for. Thon added that involving an entire family in a concerted effort to help others is a wonderful lesson for our youth [and] an activity the family can do together. 

In addition to the Thanksgiving meal items, Thon has listed additional items that may be purchased to help such households. Common items such as peanut butter, cereal, canned meat and soup are on the supplemental list.

The pantry will receive a grant from the Hunger Initiative to purchase perishable items, while potatoes were donated by Sy Schlattmann for the baskets. Schlattmann’s potatoes were grown on the family farm this season. 

Thon noted that last year the pantry ran out of turkeys and hams. She hopes this year people will understand that the basket program is for those that truly need them. 

TURKEY DRIVE CHALLENGE 

The Basin First Baptist Church will once again sponsor turkey and ham drives to help with the Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets. Turkeys may be dropped off at the back door of the Chamber on Nov. 19 from 4:30-6 p.m. There will be a ham drive in December for the Christmas baskets.

This year, the pantry is encouraging other churches to join the First Baptist Church with their own turkey and ham drives. Thon said she is very thankful that the First Baptist started the drive idea and hopes other churches, or even companies, will follow suit. If the adopt-a-basket program goes well for Thanksgiving, the pantry will hold another adoption drive for Christmas baskets. 

COLLECTION AND
DONATION INFO 

The Thanksgiving baskets will be given out on Nov. 23, from 9-10 a.m., on a first come, first served basis. There is no sign-up sheet, simply line up behind the Basin Chamber in the grocery store parking lot. Those interested in donating a turkey should contact Thon at 307-250-1678. 

Monetary donations may be mailed to Basin Area Food Bank, PO Box 284, Basin, WY 82410.