Sacramento State’s Associated Students Inc. is hosting its eighth annual Thanksgiving food basket drive Nov. 17-20 from 9a.m.- 4p.m.

To celebrate the season of thanks, organizations on campus are coming together to build Thanksgiving food baskets for local families in need.

Sac State’s A-Team program assistant Allie Boyd organized the Thanksgiving food basket drive last year.

Boyd said the A-Team section of ASI helps with event coordinating and promotions mainly dealing with community service opportunities.

As of Nov. 10, 26 university organizations signed up for the food basket drive, but more organizations and groups of students are welcome.

“It needs to be a complete basket, though,” Boyd stressed about student donations.

Each basket holds 24 different items ranging from granulated sugar to chicken broth to Kool-Aid.

“Most of it can be found at the Dollar Store,” Boyd said. “And if it’s too much to do, [students] can volunteer to decorate.”

Students can swing by the Union to help decorate baskets on Nov. 19 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; the A-Team will provide all of the supplies for decorating.

“It’s wrapped like a present,” Boyd smiled.

Last year, Boyd said the event packaged 77 baskets and about 90 baskets in 2012.

“The baskets go to local elementary schools and churches with low income families,” Boyd explained. “[Each organization] can nominate up to five families.”

Sac State’s chemistry department has been participating in the food basket drive for so many years they have lost count.

“At least three years, maybe more, probably 5,” Administrative Support Coordinator Michelle Williams said.

Williams said her fondest memory of participating in the food basket drive was when she personally delivered a basket to a school.

“I delivered one year to a small, low-income school in Rio Linda with kindergarten to second graders,” Williams explained and added it was particularly fun to hand deliver a package.

Madison Hall is organizing the food basket drive this year and said A-Team has 95 baskets to fill in order to fulfill their promises to local churches, elementary schools and shelters.

If the goal is not met, ASI will provide the rest of the baskets; but getting those 95 baskets donated by the Sac State student body and organizations is always preferred.

Organizations and any group of students can participate by filling out a participant survey online at asi.csus.edu.

There is still time left to participate on Nov. 19 for decoration day or for groups to donate last minute baskets on Nov. 20 .