FoodbankSBC
Source: Foodbank of Santa Barbara County
The Foodbank of Santa Barbara County is asking community members to donate 4,000 fresh or frozen turkeys and chickens to provide healthy holiday meals to local families who cannot afford them. The target number reflects a dramatic increase in need throughout the county.
The 2020 Turkey Drive runs from October 26 through the holiday season. Community members may drop off turkeys or chickens at the Foodbank’s warehouses Monday through Friday in Santa Barbara at 4554 Hollister Ave from 8 am to 3 pm and in Santa Maria at 490 W. Foster Road from 7:15 am to 3 pm.
American General Media, whose family of radio stations includes The Beat 95.7FM, La Ley 100.3FM, Sunny Country 102.5FM, Pirate Radio 104.1FM and News Talk 1240AM, on Wednesday, November 18. This year, the American General Media turkey drive will be a new location to make drive-through drop- off easier. Community members may swing by Toyota of Santa Maria at 700 E. Betteravia Rd. from 7am to 6pm to donate birds without ever leaving their vehicles.
Birds must be dropped off by November 23 to ensure delivery to families in time for Thanksgiving, but the Foodbank will accept donations through December 11 for other holiday meals.
“The Foodbank needs small turkeys and chickens to ensure everyone in our county can have a wholesome holiday dinner,” explained Paul Wilkins, Foodbank Chief Operations Officer. “With shortages expected for food banks across the country in the last quarter of the year, and when our community is facing rampant job losses and economic crisis, the need is higher than ever this year.”
In lieu of dropping off fresh or frozen birds, community members may sponsor holiday meals online by visiting https://donate.foodbanksbc.org/2020HolidayFoodDrive to donate.
More than 3,500 turkeys and chickens collected during the 2019 Turkey Drive were provided to members of the community via Foodbank Mobile Food Pantries, along with church and community agency partners, in Carpinteria, Santa Barbara, Goleta, Isla Vista, Lompoc, Buellton, Vandenberg, Orcutt, Santa Maria, Guadalupe and Cuyama. Many of the Foodbanks’ residential program partners used the birds to prepare and provide healthy Thanksgiving meals to those they serve.
This year, the Foodbank expects to distribute turkeys and chickens to community members through its network of certified SAFE Food Net locations that have been established to provide contactless, safe places to receive food during the Covid-19 crisis.
The Foodbank provided 12.5 million pounds of healthy groceries to residents of Santa Barbara County last year. Half of that was fresh produce. The Foodbank provided food to more than 240,000 people (unduplicated) in our county in last year. Forty-one percent (41%) of those served by the Foodbank are children, which amounts to more than 83,000 children.
Community members or local businesses who would like to host a turkey drive may call (805) 319-9096 or email jjenkins@foodbanksbc.org.
Donated!!! Let’s all help this one go viral. People are in even greater need this year and not getting the support they need. Let’s make sure our community doesn’t go hungry.
This article should promote VEGAN turkeys!!!. The world needs to go VEGAN for our environment and climate!!! Wake up people and stop being hypocrites.
Couldn’t agree more with the suggestion for vegan or vegetarian. It was offensive to read the request for “birds” to be dropped off when want they want is “food”. I get it about the need for food, but there should also be consideration for the County’s urging to not gather in groups, except of immediate and known safe family units. If the Covid- infection and sickness and death rates rise 10+/- days after T(hanksgiving) Day then we have been warned and warned and warned.
Radical vegans in the house!
I am chiming in to AGREE 100% about the vegan and vegetarian options. Drop meat and go plant based. For your body, for the planet, for the animals.
It will raise your triglycerides and lower your good cholesterol. HDL. I have tried it. Not good.
Probably factories that make batteries for “clean” vehicles.
I wonder if there are going to be a lot of big Turkeys that go unsold this year because people are having smaller gatherings? And a big run on little ones along with toilet paper and hand sanitizer?