The drive provides baskets that have all of the essentials to create a Thanksgiving feast!  Baskets will be donated to Stone Creek Church.  Donors are encouraged to give nonperishable items, a grocery store gift card, or contribute an entire basket!

Imagine being unable to share a Thanksgiving meal with your family.  Each fall, through the Thanksgiving Basket Drive, the Illini Union Office of Volunteer Programs (OVP) collects laundry baskets filled with every non-perishable item that a family might need to prepare a Thanksgiving Dinner and a $25 gift card (preferably from Meijer) for perishable items.

Grab your friends, co-workers, roommates, hall floor, RSO, Greek house or cultural house and put together one or more baskets.  Drop full baskets off to OVP between Monday, November 3 - 17 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and make Thanksgiving dinner possible for a family in need this holiday season!

Groups may order their baskets or individual items through the Illini Union Quad Shop by walking in, ordering, and paying at the cash register.  It’s a quick and easy process!

Want to help but don’t have enough resources to make a full basket?  Individuals may participate by donating 3-6 of the individual food items or a $25 gift card (preferably from Meijer).

Hunger is a reality for an estimated 1 in 6 people in Illinois.  For children, that number is much higher – an estimated 1 in 4 children in Illinois struggle with low food security. 23.4% of the residents of the Champaign County, students excluded, live at or below the poverty line.  Register your name or group online at www.go.illinois.edu/basket, or just drop off a basket at OVP during their regular office hours.  For volunteer-sign up for the Thanksgiving Basket Drive, visit www.volunteersignup.org/F38XT to sign-up for a volunteer position.

Thanks to the Office of Volunteer Programs for this information item.

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