Basket Brigade is back; bigger and better

Operation Basket Brigade is expanding again this year with a goal of helping even more DuPage County individuals and families who will be in need of a Thanksgiving dinner. The Basket Brigade is coordinated by the DuPage County Health Department and annually helps hundreds of families who might not otherwise have a Thanksgiving dinner.

This year the Basket Brigade is partnering with the Wheaton VFW Post 2164, 0N731 Papworth St., Wheaton, to identify veterans in need and as a location where all County residents are invited to drop off their non-perishable donations starting in November.

With the help of the Wheaton VFW, Thanksgiving food baskets will be collected and delivered to needy military veterans and their families. In addition to veterans, baskets will again be delivered to individuals and families that have been identified by DuPage County Townships.

The goal of the Basket Brigade is also increasing this year with a target of 400 individuals and families.

The Health Department's Office of Risk and Emergency Management (OREM) provides staff and volunteers to coordinate every aspect of the Basket Brigade, which is also designed as a training exercise for OREM.

A collection trailer provided by the DuPage County Office of Emergency Management will be located at the Wheaton VFW in November. Non-perishable donations will be accepted twice per week during November and drop-off times soon will be announced. Information regarding the donation of turkeys soon will also be announced.

Collection boxes for Health Department staff will be set up in all Public Health Centers in late October and donations will be collected from staff and periodically transferred to the Wheaton VFW collection site.

The Thanksgiving baskets include everything needed for a holiday dinner, including turkey, sides and desert, all delivered in a reusable plastic laundry basket.

For additional information, please contact John Miller at (630) 221-7123

or e-mail: jmiller@dupagehealth.org