MADISON, Wis. — A lot of events have been cancelled this year, but SSM Health employees at St. Mary’s Hospital wouldn’t let their Thanksgiving tradition be one of them.
For years, healthcare workers at St. Mary’s would bring in food for the Madison Metropolitan School District’s Adopt-A-School program. They would create baskets for about 125 families at Lincoln Elementary School.
But hosting a food drive wasn’t a safe option during the pandemic. Instead, SSM Health employees raised $9,500 to donate. That money was turned into boxes full of Thanksgiving food for Lincoln Elementary families.
“Normally our staff would just bring in a couple boxes of mac and cheese or jello or pudding or whatever, not huge amounts of money,” said St. Mary’s Hospital Community Relations manager Jenn Ellestad. “By being able to partner with the foundation, they were able to accept donations as small as a couple of dollars, up to over $100.”
Ellestand said it brought joy to the staff to still be able to make a difference this year.
“It wasn’t the visual you normally get with the baskets all piled up at the hospital, but everyone knew it was happening and could still do that little bit to make the huge impact for the families,” she said,
The donation was able to feed 125 families, like they’ve done in years past.
“A lot of families are in great need this time of year every year, but this year particularly because COVID has struck our community in a stronger way than many communities. And so many parents are out of work and having trouble making rent,” said Lincoln Elementary School Principal Deb Hoffman.
Hoffman said in a time of a crisis, it’s great to see south side families receiving gifts truly from the heart.
