Traditionally, Thanksgiving is a time of coming together as a family and giving thanks. Each year, more than 12 million children
across the United States go hungry because their families cannot afford food. In Milwaukee, levels of poverty double the national
average with nearly 43% of children living below the federal poverty line. For thousands of disadvantaged and struggling families in
our community, Thanksgiving is just another day of struggling to make ends meet and not having enough food to eat.
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Jane Pirsig
Executive Director
Aurora Family Service
Since 1996, Aurora Family Service's Family-to-Family Thanksgiving Program has helped lift the spirits of families in Milwaukee
during the holiday season. Celebrations and rituals can be powerful organizers of family life, but stressful when finances are tight.
Aurora Family Service's Family-to-Family Thanksgiving program provides food and tools to help offer people stability during these
challenging times.
A donation of $35 will provide a family with a complete set of groceries – 12 lb. turkey, foil roasting pan, bread,
butter, potatoes, stuffing, vegetables and fruit – so family members can work together to prepare their Thanksgiving
meal.
Most families would not be able to celebrate the traditional Thanksgiving dinner without this support. Family-to-Family Thanksgiving
provides opportunities for families to come together, enjoy each other's company, and partake in a family ritual that so many of us
take for granted.
Unfortunately, with the economy continuing to decline, more jobs being lost, more families struggling to make ends meet, and the
negative stress affecting families and the community overall, Aurora Family Service knows more families than ever are seeking support.
Aurora Family Service is committed to assisting a minimum of 3,500 Milwaukee families this Thanksgiving. Nearly 100 community based
organizations, churches, and schools receive baskets that are then distributed to families in need throughout the metropolitan area.
The generosity of individuals, corporations, and organizations is a vital ingredient to the success of fulfilling the challenge of
helping even more struggling families during the holiday season. Aurora Family Service needs to raise $100,000 to help continue this
important event in the community. Sponsorship opportunities exist at $1,000, $2,500, $5,000 and $10,000 gift levels.
As we sit down to our own Thanksgiving meal, it is even more meaningful knowing we have helped a less fortunate family share the
same tradition. There are several ways individuals, corporations, and groups can get involved to make a difference.
For more information on ways of giving and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Aurora Family Service's Philanthropy Office at
(414) 345-4954.
Aurora Health Care is a not-for-profit health care provider and a national leader in efforts to improve the quality of health
care.