Helping at the Holidays!
UPDATE: November 25: 64 baskets have been delivered to the organizations helping some of our neighbors in need. Many thanks to the following who put baskets together: Mitchell Toth, Sam Cafi, Leveraged Finance, Deloitte Audit & Tax, Jennifer Grzeskiewicz, Client Services, IS Operations, Human Resources, Scott Szwiec, Sales Marketing Automation, New Products, First Capital Advisors, FTA/UIT Administration, Fund Accounting, HelpDesk, Compliance, Legal, Pete Leonteos, Tax Department, Accounting & Cashiering, Michelle Parker Family, Corporate Publishing/Fitz Marketing, Don Fuller/FTCP, Kimm Hintz, Marketing, Todd Larson (FTA-IG), Operations, SMA/VIT Department, Mary Buchanan/Impact in the Community, Ben Burger, Debbie Del Giudice, Lena Carey and Jane Doyle.
Marketing, New Products, Michelle Parker, Kimm Hintz, Jim Prince, Ian Oleson, Patti McDonell, Tracy Giffen and Don Swade also donated funds for the $100 gift cards that go with each Thanksgiving basket. Thank you!
Thanks to our wrapping helpers: Michelle Parker, Jennifer Grzeskiewicz, Sue Brix and Jackie O'Brien. They did some HEAVY lifting!
And speaking of HEAVY LIFTING: We thank Tim Bradley, Max Carey, Sam Alvidrez and Michael Laporte (below, right) for muscling all the baskets downstairs for pick-up. Roger James also assisted!
Like we said: Thanksgiving is an Action Word!
THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HELPED GIVE MANY FAMILIES, OUR NEIGHBORS IN NEED, A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING!
Photos below are of some of the wrapped baskets.
November 1. As we have since the earliest days of FT Cares, the Foundation is again providing Thanksgiving baskets full of all the fixings for a bountiful Thanksgiving meal. The Foundation will then add a $100 gift card for the family to buy a turkey or any other special items. This year's organizations: TriCity Family Services, Wayne Township, Random Acts Matter, Lazarus House and Jubilee Village. We're also helping Milton Township and Normal Moments with Thanksgiving meals and pies.
In AUSTIN, for families served by Saint Louise House, the Foundation is providing Thanksgiving holiday gifts of practical kitchen items (wooden cutting boards, Rubbermaid food storage containers, kitchen towels, oven mitts, decorative Thanksgiving plates and napkins, etc).
Since 2012, the FT Cares Foundation—through your help—has made baskets for over 25 different organizations, accounting for more than 1000 families whose Thanksgiving was made more special by the generosity of you, our FTP volunteers. As well, the Foundation has donated $257,000 for various Thanksgiving initiatives through the years.
THANKSGIVING BASKETS GIVEN TO FAMILIES SINCE 2012:
1,061 (including what we're doing for 2024!)
Some Fun Thanksgiving Stats (Statista)
Thanksgiving became a public holiday in 1862
Thanksgiving is the most popular holiday in the U.S., followed by Memorial Day and Christmas
67% of Americans think the meaning of Thanksgiving is to spend time with family
54% will celebrate Thanksgiving at home; 35% at a relative’s home; 11% at a friend’s home and 7% at a restaurant
5% will be helping out at a homeless shelter
Picture, above left, shows a family enjoying a Thanksgiving meal provided by one of the organizations helped by the Foundation. Picture, above right, shows 3 of "Our Guys" (Erik, Roger & Tim) helping us get baskets ready to deliver in 2023.
Pictures, below, show baskets made in Wheaton and Austin the past few years.
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