Two Valley food banks are in desperate need of turkeys for their upcoming holiday food distributions ahead of Thanksgiving.
St. Mary's food bank needs to collect 12 thousand turkeys before November 22, their big holiday food distribution, where needy Valley families can get a true holiday meal, with all the fixings.
This year, they're short more than 6 thousand birds ahead of their big event and are asking families to help.
“If you have the ability, when you’re picking up a turkey for your family, pick up a turkey for another family and make sure that they have that as a centerpiece for their meal," said Jerry Brown, Director of Public Relations at St. Mary's. "So many people talk about the importance of this one day, for one day a sense of normalcy. If people are having trouble, if they lost their job, if they have some medical problems and they're not able to work right now, for just one day they can put that aside, and enjoy a great meal around the table with their family, it's important."
Brown says it only takes 10 dollars to put a turkey on the table for a family.
The annual event, starting the 19, sees lines of cars stitched for miles. It takes the food bank 500 volunteers to get every family a meal.
Here's how you can donate:
- You can drop off turkeys to both St. Mary's locations in Phoenix (2831 N. 31st Avenue) and in Surprise (13050 West Elm Street)
- You can purchase a turkey at 28 Albertson and Safeway locations across the valley on Saturday, November 17th for their "Super Saturday Turkey Drive" from 8AM-2PM, and give to a St. Mary's volunteer outside the store. There, you can also make another food or cash donation.
- You can text to give, head to firstfoodbank.org and donate any amount of money with your credit card.
