Lauren Estes-Velez, Hartselle Enquirer

The Chappell Karate Basket Brigade will soon be held for the 13th year, with the theme Let Them See You in Me. Donations are being accepted now to create the food baskets for needy families

The Basket Brigade packing day is scheduled for Dec. 16 beginning at 11 a.m. at the O.W.O. Recreational Center in Hartselle.

Volunteers will sort and package the food donations into boxes and then immediately will begin to deliver them to families in the community. A complete Christmas dinner food box consists of a 10-12-pound turkey, 4-5-pound bag of potatoes, several canned vegetables, soft drinks, rolls, dessert, roasting pan, a Christmas card and a Bible.

The group is now collecting canned food items such as green beans, corn, sweet peas and cranberry sauces.

An Alabama/Auburn canned food drive competition is happening through Nov. 30. Alabama fans may drop off canned goods at Mike’s Gun Shop, and Auburn fans may drop off at Beth’s Barber Shop, both in Hartselle.

Other food drop off locations are Byford’s Gun Shop in Hartselle; Health Mart Pharmacy (on Spring Avenue), Guardian Self Storage and Bestway (both on the Beltline), Aaron’s (on the Wimberly Drive), and Gentlemen’s Barber Shop (in Funland Park), all in Decatur; and Faith Baptist Church in Moulton.

Tax-deductible monetary donations are also being accepted, either online at ChappellKarateBasketBrigade.com or by mail at CKBB, P.O. Box 268, Falkville, AL 35622.

Receipts are available upon request. Monetary donations will go toward turkeys, pies and rolls.

The Basket Brigade is also selling bedsheets through Nov. 17 and Krispy Kreme doughnut cards through Nov. 30 to raise money.

The Basket Brigade’s focus is to personally deliver Christmas dinner food boxes to the elderly, veterans, individuals battling illnesses, widows and families with children.

The desire is to provide the volunteers a first-hand giving experience, especially children.

Brigade members said they love to deliver food boxes to everyone in the five-county area they serve – Morgan, Madison, Lawrence, Limestone and Cullman – but especially love surprising families with a food box. They call their mission “investing in families” by offering hope in the form of Christmas dinner food boxes.

For more information, contact Donna at 256-751-3325, Amanda Bussey at 256-612-4438 or Pamela Dodgen at ForHisSheep@gmail.com.