It’s Thanksgiving and people are hungry? Call out Gig Harbor’s Basket Brigade

Thanksgiving is around the corner, and the Gig Harbor Basket Brigade is already swinging into action.

The Peninsula-based volunteer nonprofit has been at work for weeks, collecting donated food. On Tuesday and Wednesday of next week, volunteers will pack more than 1,000 Thanksgiving meals in gift boxes at the Tacoma Narrows Airport and drivers will speed them on their way.

The boxes will be delivered to people, including military families, who could use a Thanksgiving meal.

In the 25 years since Basket Brigade surprised 12 unsuspecting families back in 1993, the volunteer-powered organization has served Thanksgiving meals to thousands of families, averaging 1,500 a year.

“We started with eight guys and 12 baskets, and this year we have about 450 volunteers and we’ll be delivering more than 1,100 baskets,” said David Cathers, the Gig Harbor real-estate agent who ramrods the project every year.

Basket Brigade works with churches, school counselors, senior centers and utilities to identify families or individuals who might otherwise miss out on Thanksgiving.

“We also just ask around, asking people if they know people going through a divorce, maybe had a death in the family, anyone likely to be alone or in need on Thanksgiving,” Cathers said.

Peninsula Light shares a list of low-income customers who get help on their electric bill.

The group also works with the Navy in Bremerton and the Army at JBLM to identify military families in need.

Basket Brigade receives funding and organizational support from the Greater Gig Harbor Foundation.

Donations come from individuals and in bulk from stores like Winco, Walmart and Fred Meyer. One corporate grocer recently donated 125 cases of ramen noodles.

“We try to make sure that every basket has the Thanksgiving basics — turkey, cranberry sauce, beans, corn and so on,” said Cathers. “But we also try to tuck in some extras, like mac-and-cheese, ramen noodles, rice or spaghetti, to maybe help stretch out meals for another week.”

The baskets come with a tag that says:

“This basket comes to you from someone who cares about you. All we ask is that you take care of yourself well enough to do this for someone else someday.”

“What’s cool is that we get a lot of people who have received baskets, saw that tag, and came back to volunteer when they got back on their feet,” Cathers said. “So it comes full circle.”

There is still time to donate food, Cathers said.

The group’s web site has a list of the food donations most needed. As of Monday, they included jams and jellies, peaches, pears, evaporated milk, baby cereals and vegetables, pasta, tuna, peanut butter — and 1,500 frozen turkeys.

Monetary donations are also welcome, Cathers said. There is a yellow “Donate” button on the website that links to Paypal or credit cards.

And lots of volunteers are needed for packing at the airport and delivering baskets. You don’t have to sign up or register, he said, “just show up.”

“We start delivering Wednesday and don’t quit until we’re done,” he said. “So how long it takes depends on how many volunteers we have.”

The packing event takes place from 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 26 and resumes at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 27 in Building 1402 (Hangar 2) at Tacoma Narrows Airport. Navy personnel will direct volunteers to the hangar.

For information on how to donate, visit www.gigharborbasketbrigade.com

This story was originally published November 19, 2019 at 4:44 PM.