Lorraine Walsh’s favorite holiday was Thanksgiving, but the last one with her family was bittersweet.
She was hospitalized because of a prolonged illness. Her family decided to pack up dinner and bring Thanksgiving to her.
“We took her a Thanksgiving basket because we wanted to celebrate with her and for the doctors and nurses who gave up Thanksgiving to take care of her,” her daughter-in-law Cherish Walsh said.
After Lorraine Walsh died, her family decided to honor the former Elgin resident’s memory by joining author and life coach Tony Robbins’ Basket Brigade project. Robbins started Basket Brigade because he saw the need for Thanksgiving meals. He recalled his own family getting baskets when he was growing up, according to his website.
The Walsh family, who lives in Streamwood, launched the Basket Brigade of Suburban Chicago seven years ago and have watched it grow every year.
“Thanksgiving is such a fun time for families, food and gatherings. For people not to have a meal is just so sad,” Cherish Walsh said.
The names of recipients are provided anonymously. Volunteers deliver the baskets.
Basket Brigade is different than other food distributions because volunteers personally deliver the food to families, Walsh said. “We are looking people in the eye and saying, ‘Happy Thanksgiving.’ There’s that human contact. They know they matter,” she said.
The organization teamed up with the Northern Illinois Food Bank to purchase the meals this year due to ongoing COVID-19 safety precautions, Walsh said. Each basket feeds a family of five. This year, rice and beans are on the menu, along with turkey and a dessert.
Last year, the Walsh family and volunteers delivered 2,300 baskets. This year, 3,000 deliveries are scheduled.
Walsh said she has seen an increase in requests from the Elgin area this year. An annual Thanksgiving community dinner was canceled this year and economists estimate the cost of a Thanksgiving dinner is 15% higher than last year, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.
Basket Brigade of Suburban Chicago is still looking for volunteers to help deliver baskets on Saturday, Nov. 20. “We need people on the ground helping on Saturday to load vehicles and deliver the meals. We have 3,000 meals that need to go out. It takes four to five hours,” Walsh said.
She’s also taking nominations for families who need a Thanksgiving dinner. Anyone can nominate a family. There is no income requirement.
The special delivery has become a family tradition for the entire family, Walsh said. “We drag everybody in. It’s a whole family project,” she said.
Lindsey, 13, her twin sister, Chelsea, and their brother, Tyler, 24, help every year. It’s been an eye-opening experience for Lindsey, who said she didn’t initially understand the level of hunger in the community.
“It surprises me how many people need meals just because I’m growing up in a middle-class family that always has food on the table,” she said. Now, she does.
Her favorite part is delivering the baskets, the teen said. “I like seeing the surprise and reaction of people when we give them the food. They don’t expect it. You can see their faith in humanity is being restored.”
For more information, go to www.basketbridgie.net
Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
