Holiday turkeys, hams needed at area food banks EVERETT - The Everett Food Bank didn’t have any turkeys as of last week, but it has plans to get some by Thanksgiving.
A turkey drive next week is expected to bring in a small haul of turkeys.
“We will be able to provide all our clients with some form of meat for Thanksgiving but it goes from turkey roasts, to whole chickens, to chicken leg quarters,” Volunteers of America food bank director Leann Geiger said. “Not ideal for a Thanksgiving meal.”
The food bank buys those turkeys and chickens to bolster its cache of holiday meats. It has enough trimmings such as stuffing, Geiger said.
Geiger said the food bank bought 4,000 turkey roasts for Thanksgiving but needs about 1,100 more as of late last month.
The Salvation Army food bank at 2525 Rucker Ave., which is hurting for donations, will get some turkey roasts from the VOA. The VOA has a running supply of two weeks of food.
The VOA plans to serve 2,500 people in November and a similar amount in December. The figures are almost even with last year’s numbers.
The food bank served 2,616 people last November. The faces are changing, though.
“We are already seeing clients that have never been to the food bank before and need help for the holidays,” Geiger said.
Donations are going well. The overall stocks of food “all actually are looking pretty good,” Geiger said.
One thing the VOA can’t get support for from organizations such as Food Lifeline is baby items. The VOA is always in need of diapers, formula and similar items, Geiger said.
The food bank is looking for Christmas hams, as well. The food bank hasn’t received any yet.
Volunteers of America also is running a Holiday Basket program where people can sponsor meals and holiday gifts for a needy family.
The program pairs up families with people willing to buy them items. Similar to a giving tree in malls, people are given the names and contact information for a low-income family.
The food bank is located at 13th Street and Broadway. Its hours are Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the third Saturday of the month from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The food bank serves families, seniors and the disabled. The Salvation Army food bank serves adult-only households.
The VOA accepts donations Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. To donate money to the VOA food bank, go online to www.voaww.org and click on “Donate Now.”
To participate in the Holiday Basket program, call Volunteers of America’s main line at 425-259-3191.
