THANKSGIVING DISTRIBUTION HOURS:
Week before Thanksgiving: We will serve holiday groceries and regular to-go meals, during our normal pantry hours.
Week of Thanksgiving: We will serve Thanksgiving to-go meals, as well as regular groceries, during modified pantry hours.
Thanksgiving Groceries: Turkey OR chicken, French fried onions, canned green beans, cream of mushroom soup, stuffing, gravy jar, canned corn, cornbread mix, broth, macaroni and cheese, rice, dessert mix, butter, cooler bag, eggs, milk, bread, desserts, frozen proteins, potatoes, onions, and 2 more fresh produce items.
Thanksgiving To-Go Meals: Prepared in collaboration with Madison College’s culinary department, meals include turkey or mushrooms, gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, veggie side, bread roll, butter pat, and pumpkin pie.
Inclement Weather Policy
For the safety of our clients, staff and volunteers, The River and all its programs will consider closing when weather conditions, temperatures or in-city road conditions are deemed unsafe by the National Weather Service. Closures will be posted on this page, our homepage, and on our social media channels.
Generally, closings will occur when:
- Severe weather creates safety risks to staff and volunteers performing outside duties.
- Government and/or Public Safety officials issue no-travel/stay-home alerts.
- Local air temperature is -25°F or colder, or 95°F or warmer.
- Local wind chill is -35°F or colder or heat index is 105°F or warmer, regardless of the actual air temperature.
- The National Weather Service issues an:
- Excessive Heat Warning (i.e., when the maximum heat index temperature is expected to be 105°F or higher for at least 2 days and nighttime air temperatures will not drop below 75°F)
- Wind Chill Warning (i.e., when wind chill values are expected to fall to -35°F or lower within the next 24–48 hours. You can get frostbite in 10–15 min on unprotected skin.)
During extended days of dangerous weather, we will make our best effort to open the food pantry for limited periods of time for emergency food distribution.