This reader is filling a basket for a fund raiser. Can you help?

"We are doing a fund raiser basket party.Each member is to to a basket. I decided to do a dry goods food basket(pasta,sauce,beans,canned meat,tea, cookies, noodles, peanut butter,jelly,crackers,cereal,hot chocolate,etc).Since times are hard for some families I thought this was a good idea. Can you expand on this?

                                           Thank You."

 Since everyone will be doing a dry basket a box of the little Swiss Miss hot chocolate,some cake mixes they should be on sale soon, jar of little midget pickles or some hamburger dill chip pickles since coffee is so high a small can of coffee. If someone wants to do a coffee basked they could do a small can or bag of coffee Dollar General carries a (12.7 fl.oz.) Belladonna syrup for coffee the only flavors they come in where I live are carmel,vanilla and used to carry hazelnut these are no-calorie and very tasty I have bought the vanilla haven't tried bought the carmel it's very good and I don't even care much for carmel a small bag of sugar or aftifical sweetner and a box of small cookies to go with it you should be able to do it all for around $10.00 the coffee syrups are only a dollar each.That's all I can think of for now.

Brandy, your basket sounds just lovely. If you want to add a bit more, some trail mix or little boxes of raisins or little bags of nuts  might be a treat. But I think what you have already planned is more than enough.

(Sorry about the bold print - I just hit some button and it started)

How about those mix's like jiffy mix or bisquick those are winners or if you get generic ones like that, that be great.. Jams from dollar tree and gravey mix's.

My daughter's elementary school did themed baskets like this for several years. Each classroom would make a basket to auction off at the yearly Fall Festival. Some of the themes were:

movie night, which had microwave popcorn, movie tickets, rental coupons, and an inexpensive family-friendly DVD.

beach party, which contained flip-flops, sand-castle toys, sunglasses, and a beach towel.

school days, which had school supplies, an apple for a teacher, etc.

candy lovers, which had candy and chocolates, of course!

coffee and tea lovers, which had coffees, creamers, syrups, a mug, and assorted teas.

A soup basket is nice, with a pretty soup bowl, canned soups and saltine crackers. I made this for someone who was sick once and they loved it.

I love the "movie" baskets, too, with popcorn and "movie" candies that can be found at the dollar tree (Jr. Mints, Milk Duds, Cookie Dough Bites, etc.), a DVD or two or movie gift certificates. I see someone has mentioned that one already.

A "spaghetti night" basket is nice, too. You can add an inexpensive spaghetti spoon/fork, pastas, sauces, a small jar of parmesan cheese and put everything in a large colander.

 When I once volunteered for the red cross, we went went to different businesses and asked them to make donations. We used the donations, including gift certificates, etc., to make all different types of baskets, including "men" baskets that included tune ups and oil changes, tools, etc. Women's baskets included beauty salon certificates, purses, umbrellas, etc., just all sorts of different things that we were albe to combine from different places.

Hope this helps.

Ok ladies basket tissue fennamin stuff like for the once a month thingie soups small shampoo conditioners nice smellies maybe a candle wash clothes chocolet, tea,coffees and a coupons for certain cosmetics, deoderants and maybe sachets...

Coffee,tea,certain packaged snacks,candy,soups,mix like muffin or bisquick,or jiffy mix canned soup caned veggies or canned fruit,snack bars, cereal ,chips small marshmellow to go with hot chocolets or apple cider etc. etc. etc. you all catch the drift anything will do put in big basket fil out the gaps and wrap put a bigass bow on it and a pretty tag.

ROFL Cindy!

 Actually, Cindy's ideas made me think of a bathroom basket that all the stuff can be bought from the Dollar Tree. Buy a small wicker trash can (for the basket). Stuff bottom with balls of newspaper then line with a couple of hand towels and include toothpaste, deoderants, shampoo, lotion, soap, a couple of tea light candles and holders, etc.

Cool now I know what to get my sister for her bathroom once she is settled in besides at christmas another present kitchen stuff ...