St. Mary’s Food Bank Seeks Thousands of Thanksgiving Turkeys

On November 10, St. Mary’s Food Bank was seeking donations to help provide Thanksgiving food for families across Arizona. The organization’s holiday distribution effort is underway, and it still needs thousands of turkeys to reach its goal. One estimate put the shortfall at about 11,500 birds; another said more than 13,000 were still needed to serve 24,000 families.

Jerry Brown, the food bank’s public relations director, said demand has climbed about 10% this year. He cited rising costs and the loss of SNAP benefits, and said the organization expects to serve more families. The final number of turkeys distributed could be between 20,000 and 22,000, he said.

The food bank buys some turkeys during the summer, but relies on donations to meet the remaining need. Although several groups have contributed large quantities, Brown said donations from individuals will be important to reaching the target. He encouraged households to give one, three or five turkeys.

Distributions are already taking place in rural northern Arizona communities. The schedule includes Peach Springs on November 11, Tuba City on November 12, Fort Defiance on November 17 and Chinle on November 19. Phoenix and Surprise distributions are planned for the three days before Thanksgiving.

People can donate turkeys at the food bank’s locations in Phoenix and Surprise.