Second Harvest holds annual turkey distribution event

By Ashley Luthans

Cars lined Grand Avenue on Thursday morning as residents claimed boxes filled with all the ingredients for Thanksgiving dinner.

Volunteers assisted at Second Harvest Community Food Bank with the 14th annual free annual Turkey Day distribution. Vouchers were given out to qualifying community members last week, inviting them to pick up food for the holiday meal.

This year in St. Joseph, 500 turkeys were given away. In addition, Second Harvest distributed 250 turkeys each in Maryville and Trenton.

Many receiving the boxes Thursday expressed gratitude for the food.

Nancy Hall, a member of the St. Joseph Eastside Lions Club, came out to volunteer for Turkey Day. She said that even though it was cold outside, she thought it was important to be there and help.

“People are gonna be hungry no matter what the temperature is,” Hall said. “So, we need to help them no matter what.”

She also shared her favorite part of volunteering at Turkey Day.

“We get to see lots of wonderful people who are here to help others and visit with them, and that’s a really good thing,” Hall said. “But most of all, it’s that we’re helping other people who need help. That’s our biggest thing that we like to do.”

Mackenzie Osborn, the communications coordinator for Second Harvest, said the giveaway fills a need for many.

“This region-wide event is important to the community because we know there are people who are doing their best and still might need a little extra help this holiday season,” she said. “Thanks to this event, some of these families won’t have to worry about where their Thanksgiving meal will come from.”

Second Harvest will have a Christmas distribution event next month. Dates for that program still are being finalized.