Thursday, February 6, 2025

‘Baskets of Love’ are spreading holiday cheer once again

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SPRINGTOWN — With the holidays coming up, families and friends will soon gather and exchange gifts with one another. But let's not forget that many families have lost loved ones and will spend the holiday season without those individuals.

We Are Our Brother’s Keeper founder Jessica Castro wants everyone who has lost a loved one to addiction or who is currently struggling with addiction to know that they are not alone. This organization is a nonprofit group that spreads awareness and gives support for drug addiction, overdose prevention and connections for those who have lost loved ones from overdose or are struggling with their own addiction. Castro lost her oldest son, Joseph, to addiction in 2019.

“When Joseph died, I felt very isolated and alone and ashamed of what had happened to him and his death,” Castro said. “After months and months and months of feeling that isolation, I finally felt a need to tell other people. I know my family is not the only one struggling with this.”

Castro for the past three years has put together “Baskets of Love,” which is a food drive for families who are struggling to afford holiday meals. She recalls back to her childhood and prominently remembers the meals her family had together and not much else.

“When I was a little, I remembered the food, I couldn't tell you what I got,” Castro said. “And I thought, how many families can't even afford that? So, that's where the baskets came in.”

Castro makes sure every basket has everything needed to create a perfect holiday meal.

“What we put in the baskets is really cool,” Castro said. “If you were to go to the store and buy stuff to make Thanksgiving dinner, that's exactly what has to go in these baskets. Rolls, cornbread, vegetables, ham, turkeys, cranberry sauce, pie filling, all that good, yummy stuff that we love goes in this basket.”

In a sweet gesture, the owner of Frosty’s Snow Cones in Springtown is smoking turkeys and is also donating some to the Baskets of Love.

“He's smoking turkeys this year,” Castro said. “For every three turkeys that he gets to smoke, he's donating one to our Baskets of Love. So, I've been trying to push, ‘Everybody go get your turkey.’”

Like many individuals with nonprofit organizations, there are days where burnout and exhaustion are present. But for Castro, helping and giving back to others has never been difficult.

“It's never been hard,” Castro said. “I always feel like Joseph has led me to do these things. No matter what he was going through, he would take care of someone else. So, it's never been hard for me to do this. It is the best and most rewarding thing. I love the Baskets of Love. It makes my whole heart happy.”

We Are Our Brother’s Keeper is accepting food donations for the baskets and asks for the donations to be dropped off at 300 W. Fourth St. in Springtown. For more information, contact weareourbrotherskeeper19@gmail.com.