Thanksgiving Basket Brigade Volunteers Prepare Donations To Needy Families
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Some very grateful people came out to a west side warehouse this morning for the seventh annual Chicago Thanksgiving Basket Brigade and they were the ones preparing donations, not receiving them.
900 people at Chicago Studio City stood among stacks of donated food, unpacking it, assembling and decorating baskets for delivery to 1,500 needy families.
Many wore shirts from the charity they represented over their winter coats in the unheated space.
Families, girl scouts, student councils and corporations were all represented by volunteers.
Audrea Williams and her sister were assembling baskets in honor of their late mother, and plan to serve dinner to the needy on Thanksgiving, too.
Many volunteers said while they frequently give their time to worthy causes, they really wanted to this year because of all the unrest in the world.
Shane Staats, president of the brigade, says they turned away about 600 people because they didn't have enough space for all the volunteers.
The group delivered Thanksgiving baskets complete with turkeys to 1,500 needy families who were referred by social workers or religious groups.
Staats says the recipients don't know they're getting the food and the donation is anonymous, so he says people know that perfect strangers care about them.