Thanksgiving Baskets for Food Pantry Shoppers

Above: Volunteers from Bank of Sun Prairie help pack Thanksgiving baskets.

It's that time of year again, when bright leaves carpet the ground and chilly mornings are perfect for sitting outside with a steamy beverage to warm your hands. It also marks the start of the holiday season for many, including Sunshine Place clients. That means getting ready for Thanksgiving baskets!

What are Thanksgiving Baskets?

Sunshine Place’s Sun Prairie Food Pantry program provides Thanksgiving baskets containing foods that are curated for a family to share a holiday meal. Pantry Thanksgiving baskets began more than 30 years ago, before the Sun Prairie Food Pantry was a program of Sunshine Place. At a building on Bristol Street where the pantry once was, baskets were packaged with the help of high school students, pantry volunteers, and Bank of Sun Prairie employees, who are long-time supporters of this effort. Families would register ahead to receive a basket, then baskets were packed on the Saturday before Thanksgiving and picked up by registered families on the same day.

Thanksgiving Baskets 2025
These baskets are a tradition that pantry shoppers look forward to and rely on.

Over time, the process has evolved to help distribution run more smoothly and to better meet the needs of shoppers. Here’s how it works. Shoppers receive a “grocery list” of foods to choose from to fill their baskets. These lists are currently made available to shoppers in Spanish, Hmong, and English. Foods are separated into categories such as main course, sides, and desserts. 

The food choices given are based on feedback from pantry shoppers on what foods are important to their culture for this holiday. This allows families to choose foods based on their own needs and traditions, which improves accessibility, reduces food waste – since people can choose what they will actually eat– and makes the baskets more culturally inclusive. Shoppers no longer register for a basket, they can simply choose to take one home during regular pantry hours anytime in the two weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. Baskets are packaged onsite by volunteers once shoppers have made their food choices. This allows the distribution process to be more spread out and less overwhelming for volunteers and for those getting baskets. Not having a registration further reduces waste, since that required that families pick up at one specific day and time or the food went unclaimed. 

As we have highlighted throughout the year, demand for pantry services has continued to rise, and the need for Thanksgiving baskets reflects this trend. About a decade ago, the pantry was handing out 300 baskets to families in need. Last year, 1,089 Thanksgiving baskets were distributed to pantry shoppers, and we anticipate that approximately 1,200 families will need Thanksgiving baskets this year. In our last newsletter we talked about how food is more than just a physical need, it’s a way that we bring our loved ones together to celebrate, remember, and appreciate. Thanksgiving baskets are rooted in this sentiment, and we want to ensure that we can provide a basket for every family who requests one. 

As we prepare for Thanksgiving baskets this November, we need your help. It costs approximately $20 to feed one local family for Thanksgiving through our Thanksgiving baskets. By donating or becoming a Thanksgiving basket sponsor you are not only feeding your neighbors, you are giving them the opportunity to sit and enjoy a special meal with their loved ones. We can’t provide Thanksgiving baskets for our shoppers without supporters like you. 

• DONATE: Click the button below to donate to our Thanksgiving baskets! Remember, for just $20 you can give a local family a holiday meal. 

• SPONSOR: Sponsors can be businesses, but they can also be you getting together with family or friends who you are thankful for, to provide other families with that same opportunity through a holiday meal. Click here to learn more about becoming a sponsor. Contact Susan Schmidt at 608-478-5556, or susan@sunshineplace.org, if you or your workplace want to commit to one of our sponsorship levels.
  
  

• SPREAD THE WORD: Download and share our sponsorship sheet and donation link. If you have volunteered putting together Thanksgiving baskets or supported them in some way in the past, share your experience and encourage others to get involved. 
  

Thank you to all of our community supporters who make our efforts possible. A special shout-out to the Bank of Sun Prairie for being our Village level sponsor for Thanksgiving baskets this year!

Support Sunshine Place through your IRA
& Reduce your Taxes

*Click the image above to view the Sunshine Supper client video.*

When a valued community member like the one in the above video needs help from a Sunshine Place program, whether that program is Sunshine Supper, housing support, the Sun Prairie Food Pantry, or a combination of these and other programs we offer, we are here for them. We meet them where they’re at, and our staff and volunteers support them in whatever way we can. We are only able to do this thanks to supporters like you. 

As we approach year’s end, we wanted to share a charitable giving opportunity that makes it easier for some of our donors over the age of 70.5 to support Sunshine Place, and may offer you tax benefits in return.

After age 70.5, you can use your IRA to support non-profit organizations like Sunshine Place. At this age, you qualify for a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD). This allows you to make a direct transfer from your IRA to one or more charities, up to $108,000 per year. To do this, simply contact your IRA provider and request a direct transfer of funds to the charity. Giving this way can reduce your taxable income and may provide other tax benefits.

When you turn 72, the IRS requires you to take a Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) from your retirement accounts each year. If you already support Sunshine Place or have been looking for an easy way to give, you can ask your IRA provider to send all or part of your RMD directly to us.

This approach makes giving simple. You do not need to write checks or use a credit card. Your gift is handled directly through your IRA, making it easy to support our mission while also potentially reducing your taxable income.

Giving back in this way makes it easier for you to support a non-profit that you care about, while still looking out for your future at the same time.

Want to take advantage of this simple and beneficial way to give back to Sunshine Place so that we can continue to support clients like the one in the video above? If you talk to the company handling your IRA about this option make sure to give them the following information: 

• Name of the qualified 501 (c)(3) non-profit: Sunshine Place

• Non-profit’s address: 18 Rickel Road, PO Box 307, Sun Prairie, WI, 53590

• Non-profit’s Employer Identification Number (EIN): 20-5398498

If you have questions regarding specifics of this type of donation to Sunshine Place, please reach out to Ann Maastricht, Sunshine Place’s Executive Director, at ann@sunshineplace.org. To learn about more charitable giving opportunities visit our website: sunshineplace.org/financial-donations 

Thank you to each and every one of you who continues to support Sunshine Place with in-kind donations, financial support, and the gift of your time through volunteering. You are the foundation of our ability to make a positive difference in our shared community.

*Please note, this is a summary of common charitable gift options but is not intended as legal, tax or accounting advice and it may not be relied on for such advice. Speak with your professional advisor about any questions regarding charitable gifts.

Staff Spotlight: Marly Owens,
Food Security Program Coordinator

What do you wish more people knew about Sunshine Place and/or about your role here? 

“We run some amazing programs offsite at schools in Sun Prairie, such as the Fun Friday program (we're at 4 neighborhoods with snack bags every Friday), Weekend Bags (a program with Northside Elementary), School Markets (at all 5 community schools) and Break Bags (supplementary food over the break, for all schools in Sun Prairie).” 

What can people find you doing when you're not at work?  

"Outside of work, I enjoy writing stories and going for runs around Madison's beautiful parks. I’m also on a mission to find the best Brandy Old-Fashioned and Fish Fry in the area." 

What is a fun fact about you that may surprise people? 

"I’ve summited Mt. St. Helens!"

C.A.R.D.S. Closet: Donation Guidelines 

& Top Needs

Sunshine Place's C.A.R.D.S. Closet kid's clothing program needs your help! The change of season means new clothing needs, and we find ourselves receiving many donations that we cannot use, which takes time and effort to sort. Browse through the graphics below to see our major clothing donation do's, don'ts, and top needs. Click here to learn more about C.A.R.D.S. Closet or click the button below and choose "C.A.R.D.S. Closet" from the donation options drop-down to donate funds directly to the program.

Program Story Spotlight: C.A.R.D.S. Closet

"Beth* first heard about Sunshine Place from another community member, and she decided to check it out. She has used the pantry and lobby, the Bed Lady program, and C.A.R.D.S. Closet, which she discovered at Sunshine Place’s Infopalooza resource fair– one of her favorite Sunshine Place events. She says that being able to shop for food and clothing for her son through Sunshine Place programs is what helps her make it month to month, allowing her to save money for other things."

- Sunshine Place, Sun Prairie Food Pantry client/volunteer

Are you a Sunshine Place client or volunteer with a story to share? Send your stories to socialmedia@sunshineplace.org or, fill out our online story form. All stories stay anonymous unless otherwise requested by a client.

2025 Sunshine Celebration Recap

Neighbors Helping Neighbors

We are so grateful to the groups, businesses, and individuals who have recently volunteered, donated, and organized drives or events to support our mission. Sunshine Place programs are possible thanks to our community’s generosity and commitment to helping one another.

Below are just a few photo highlights showcasing recent support. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to see more stories of impact and kindness.