Second Harvest Food Bank gives away 1,000 turkeys ahead of Thanksgiving

Some of the turkeys Second Harvest Food Bank gave away. (WKMG 2020)

The Thanksgiving season has kicked off at Second Harvest Food Bank as 1,000 frozen turkeys were distributed throughout the community.

The distribution was made possible through a donation from Trustco Bank and part of an effort to ensure everyone has a meal for the holiday.

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“This comes just in time for Thanksgiving for a lot of families that are struggling in these economic times,” Second Harvest Food Bank Chief Development Officer Greg Higgerson said.

On Monday, volunteers helped load up the turkeys for several food pantries in the area.

Some of the recipients included St. Rose of Lima, Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church, Life Center Church and Information Resource Center.

“It’s going to be a big, big help,” Higgerson said.  “When you can’t put food on a table, pretty much everything comes to a halt until you can get your hands on some more of it.”

Higgerson said Second Harvest has seen the need continue to increase since layoffs began because of the pandemic.

“We’ve got a lot of people out of work.  As many as 40% of the people who need help with food right now are looking for food for the first time in their lives,” Higgerson said.

In addition to the frozen turkeys, Second Harvest also donated other food items to help complete Thanksgiving meals.  The meals will be distributed to families in need over the next week.

For details on how to receive help or donate, visit https://www.feedhopenow.org/


About the Author

Mark Lehman became a News 6 reporter in July 2014, but he's been a Central Florida journalist and part of the News 6 team for much longer. While most people are fast asleep in their bed, Mark starts his day overnight by searching for news on the streets of Central Florida.

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