Every year the Elrod Center partners with Sodexo, students, faculty and staff to provide Thanksgiving baskets to local families in need. The project was started in Nov. 2006 because the government de- creased food stamps in the area and numerous local families were facing the holiday without a Thanksgiving meal.
“The Elrod Center is in its fifth year of coordinating the Thanksgiving baskets for families going through hard times in this community,” said Judy Duvall, assistant director of the Ben M. Elrod Center for Family and Community. “This year we have many families who could benefit from the food. Many are out of work, struggling to pay bills or dealing with illness or disease. Those of us who have an abundance have a wonderful opportunity to share and provide for others who are in need.”
Every November there are an average of 50 baskets given to families in Clark County. Donated food items include canned corn, green beans, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, macaroni and cheese and cornbread mix. Sodexo donates an entire cooked turkey to each basket, and this year there will be a homemade dessert included in each basket.
“Right now Ouachita hosts the Thanksgiving baskets with a lot of help,” said Ian Cosh, vice president for community and international engagement. “We partnered with Red River Baptist Association and they provide a list of families that are truly in need of assistance. We also partnered with Sodexo and they donate the turkey for the basket. It’s a very natural and simple partnership because it keeps the goal focused on the families in need.”
While food donation is an important way for students to help with the Thanksgiving baskets, there are many ways to get involved this Thanksgiving season. Students can assist not only by donating food, but also by helping to organize, and create the baskets and deliver them to the families.
“Once the food items start coming into the center, I help organize them into different categories according to what they are,” said Leanne Cushman, a senior Christian studies/ministries major. “Then, once it is time to organize the baskets, I help Judy Duvall put the meal items into the different baskets for the families. The day the Thanksgiving baskets go out into the community, I stay at the center and help the volunteers know where they are going and who they are visiting.”
While most students, faculty and staff are focused on finalizing their own Thanksgiving plans, contributing time to the Thanksgiving baskets is an easy and effective way to help contribute to the Arkadelphia community, according to Duvall.
“Students who participate in this get to see what Thanksgiving is all about,” said Daniel Anderson, a senior Christian studies/ministries major. “We can be pretty self-centered, but doing this allows us to take the focus from ourselves and realize the need that goes on around us. It is just a simple thing that goes a long way. Each year I get together with my family and chow down, laugh and enjoy their company. I love being able to be a part of giving others a chance to do the same.”
The Elrod Center will be accepting canned food through Nov. 18, and home- baked items through Nov. 22 at 8:30 a.m. Basket organizers can volunteer between Nov. 18 and Nov. 22, and basket deliverers are needed all day on Monday, Nov. 22. For more information, contact Judy Duvall at duvallj@obu.edu.
“Ouachita is all about service,” Cushman said. “It is even one of the three words on our seal, and the Elrod Center makes this possible for our campus. The Elrod Center is all about getting students involved so they can give back to the community that has given so much to them. The Thanksgiving baskets are just another way to do that.”
