OXFORD, Miss. – University of Mississippi faculty, staff
and students and other members of the Oxford community are
invited to participate in the annual Adopt-a-Basket program
to provide Thanksgiving dinners for needy families in the
Oxford area.
Donations of specific nonperishable food items, as well as
gift cards, are needed for 400 baskets to be delivered
Nov. 14.
“Lena Wiley at Interfaith Compassion Ministries told us
they could use as many baskets as we can collect, so we
have increased our goal to 400 for this year,” said Valeria
Ross, assistant dean of students for multicultural affairs
and volunteer services. “I think it is a good project for
campus organizations to work on together.”
Interfaith Compassion Ministries of Oxford and UM personnel
identify families who are in need of assistance for
Adopt-a-Basket, which is sponsored by the Office of the
Dean of Students.
Volunteers are also needed on the delivery date to help
with collecting and loading the baskets in the Student
Union Ballroom, Ross said. “Since we have increased the
number of baskets each year, we really need people to help
us with the collection of the baskets as they are delivered
that Wednesday and help us load the baskets. The Phi Delta
Theta fraternity has agreed to undertake the task of
delivering all of the baskets.”
The Physical Plant Department is donating all the boxes
needed for deliveries.
To fill a basket, groups or individuals should provide the
complete list of specified nonperishable food items along
with a $30 gift card from Wal-Mart or Kroger. The card
allows families to purchase perishables, such as turkey,
milk, eggs, butter and pie crusts, to complete their
Thanksgiving meal.
Following is a list of nonperishable items needed for each
basket:
beans
cranberry sauce
sweet potatoes
can of sweetened condensed milk
sugar
onion
Coordinators ask that volunteers gather all the items on
the list, which have a total estimated value of less than
$60, and refrain from buying items not on the list. The
items, intended to feed from four to six people, should
then be placed in a box or other container, not necessarily
a basket, and dropped off at the Student Union Ballroom
between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Nov. 13 or 8-11:30 a.m. Nov. 14.
The Adopt-a-Basket initiative began more than three years
ago as part of the Mississippi Universities Service Into
Caring project involving the state’s eight public
institutions of higher learning.
For more information about the project or to volunteer to
help collect, load and distribute baskets, contact Ross at
662-915-7248 or vross@olemiss.edu.