By Bobby Tanzilo Senior Editor/Writer Published Nov 19, 2020 at 3:05 PM

While Falkandia Brewing in St. Francis isn’t working on special Black Friday beers, its attention is focused on a loftier goal. It’s organizing a Thanksgiving food drive-thru for those in need.

On Thanksgiving Thursday, Nov. 26, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., Faklandia will distribute 300 pre-cooked and frozen meals, in packages for two or four people at its home at 3807 S. Packard Ave.

“We here at Faklandia are feeling the love and support you have given us the last few months,” the brewery announced, adding, “we want to give back to those in need this holiday season.”

In order to make this a reality, Faklandia is seeking support via a Go Fund Me that will raise the funds required to assemble the meals.

You can find that campaign, which is seeking to raise $5,000, here. At the time of writing 10 donors have pledged $377.

For those in need of a meal, please go to Faklandia on Thursday and follow the traffic pattern signs. You can choose to pay for a meal, pay what you can or pay nothing at all.

All meal packaging will be sanitized and brewery staff will wear proper PPE.

Any unclaimed meals will be donated to Project Concern of Cudahy/St. Francis.

“We are so excited to bring smiles to our communities' faces and food in their bellies during this tough year,” says the Faklandia team in its announcement.

In related news, if you’re headed over to the brewery for food or beverage, please note that there is a toy collection box there for the holidays, with all donated toys going to the Salvation Army for distribution.

Bobby Tanzilo Senior Editor/Writer

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.

He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.

With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.

He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.

In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.

He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.