Adopt-a-Basket Program Helping Feed UM Families

The 21st annual Adopt-a-Basket program is accepting food and monetary donations to provide complete Thanksgiving meals. Beginning Nov. 1, donations can be dropped off at the Associated Student Body office in the Ole Miss Student Union, Suite J301, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Nov. 19. To record donations, click here.

"Adopt-a-Basket is an initiative that is incredibly close to my heart," said ASB Secretary Braxton Daggs, a junior from Hurley majoring in integrated marketing communications. "Ensuring that families have food on their table during Thanksgiving is a cause I am honored to execute.

"It brings me immense joy to be able to help 300 families in the LOU community, knowing that our efforts can make a significant difference in their lives. By providing these baskets, we not only address immediate needs but also foster a sense of unity and support within the community."

Last year, the ASB distributed more than 200 baskets, said Alli Akers, a junior communications science and disorders major from Jackson who serves as ASB co-undersecretary of philanthropy.

The ASB hopes to increase the number to 300 baskets this year, said Sophia Jaqubino of Huntsville, Alabama, a junior Southern studies major and the other co-undersecretary of philanthropy. Members of the Philanthropy and Community Service Board and various individuals from across campus will help pack all the baskets for delivery the second week of November.

Any university employee can request a basket via the confidential form. The deadline to submit the form is Nov. 15.

Groups or individuals interested in participating are encouraged to sponsor an entire basket rather than individual items. The list of items to complete a basket are:

• 2 cans of corn
• 2 cans of green beans
• 2 onions
• 1 can of sweetened condensed milk
• 1 quart chicken broth
• Bag of marshmallows
• Bag of brown sugar
• Cinnamon
• Vanilla extract
• 3-pound bag of sweet potatoes
• 5-pound bag of potatoes
• 4-pound bag of sugar
• 2- or 5-pound bag of cornmeal
• $25 gift card to Walmart, Cashsaver or Kroger for perishable items.

"We accept and encourage donations (physical and monetary) from registered student organizations and university departments," said Riley Mickelson, of St. Martin, a sophomore public policy major and ASB undersecretary of community service. "We do hope to hold a contest this year for the RSO and department with the most donated baskets."

Top: Ole Miss students help assemble baskets using donated food items to provide Thanksgiving meals for the Adopt-a-Basket program. Photo by Kevin Bain/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services