"The Basket Brigade was created to marshal the community’s combined resources in the true spirit of Thanksgiving to ensure that every family can nourish both their bodies and souls.” - Dave Brown, Capital District YMCA President and CEO
Helping those in need to enjoy the special joy of a complete Thanksgiving meal is what the Basket Brigade program has been doing since 2016.
In 2016, HMA Contracting Corp. approached the CDYMCA and volunteered to donate 50 turkeys to provide Capital Region families with a traditional Thanksgiving dinner if the Y could donate the accompanying side dishes. The effort has grown with each passing year thanks to the generous and enthusiastic support of people throughout the Capital Region as well as new corporate sponsors. Volunteers from around the Capital Region sort, pack, and deliver Thanksgiving meals in four counties.
The Capital District YMCA has once again teamed up with our friends at HMA Contracting, Hamel Real Estate & St. Edwards Church, and the Capital Region Food Pantries to feed families this Thanksgiving. This year, we estimate we will feed over 1,500 families.
The estimated cost to provide a complete meal with all of the fixings and the turkey is $65. How many families we are able to feed depends on your help. Currently, we are accepting monetary donations, to help us purchase turkeys and other items necessary to complete each meal.
Our branches will be collecting the following:
- Canned Veggies
- Canned Fruit
- Stuffing
- Mashed Potatoes
- Canned Yams
- Gravy
- Brownie Mix
All monetary donations are tax deductible.