Emily Lampa, Building Community

Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away, and one Central Florida organization is calling upon the generosity and creativity of the community to make the upcoming holiday a memorable one for families who can't afford a Thanksgiving feast.

Right now, all over Central Florida, the Basket Brigade is accepting donations for their 10th annual collection.

If you would like to help, they are asking you to fill a basket full of non-perishable Thanksgiving food items -- anything from boxed mashed potatoes and canned cranberry sauce, to gift certificates for turkey and ham.

Their goal this year is to feed over 5,000 people.

"These people don't know we're coming, so these baskets are presented like gifts, and each basket has a note in it that says this is a gift from somebody that cares about you, all we ask is that you take good care of yourself and do this for somebody else some day, so it makes a difference in all different levels," said Joetta Raylots, of Basket Brigade of Central Florida.

Organizers say the baskets should be decorated -- the more creative the better -- and you can even include some favorite recipes. Yours could win free tickets to Gatorland.

The Basket Brigade recommends that baskets be created for an average family of five people and be as creative as you like. Here are some suggested items to include in the laundry basket sized package:

Non-Perishable

• Baking/Roasting Pan
• Beans
• Canned mixed vegetables
• Cranberries
• Box Mashed Potatoes
• Canned corn
• Peas
• Yams
• Box stuffing
• Juice (packets)
• Coupon for Turkey or Ham (any grocery store has these)

Perishable

(To be purchased within 48 hours of your basket dropoff)

• Fresh Fruit/Veggies
• Pies
• Bread
• Cookies

Additional Items To Consider Including:

• Toothbrushes
• Toothpaste
• Baby food
• Diapers
• Books
• Gift certificates
• Small toys

To participate or get more information about the Basket Brigade, go to their Web site at www.basketbrigadeflorida.com, call Joetta Raylots at (407) 948-7788 or e-mail her at jraylots@cfl.rr.com

Saturday, Nov 22 at 9 a.m. is the delivery day and time. The Basket Brigade Web site will have information about meet-up locations if you would like to help distribute the baskets.

To see more Building Community stories, go to News 13 On Demand, Digital Cable Channel 313.

Comment on this story.