Valley food banks seek turkey donations in final push to Thanksgiving

The spirit of giving is in full swing across metro Phoenix as St. Mary’s Food Bank pushes toward collecting 23,000 turkeys to provide Thanksgiving meals for families in need.

Thanks to support from businesses, schools and individual donors, over 15,000 turkeys have already been donated. But as of Thursday, the food bank is still 6,000 turkeys shy of last year and is calling on the Valley for help.

“We distributed more than 21,000 turkeys last year, a record number in our 58-year history,” said Jerry Brown, a representative for St. Mary’s Food Bank. “This year, we’re projecting that 23,000 families will need a turkey, a food box and a produce bag to complete their holiday meal.”

St. Mary’s has been a lifeline for Arizona families since 1967, distributing more than 1.6 billion pounds of food, adds Brown. More than 1,700 families seek day-to-day help at the food bank's two central locations, a figure expected to rise to 3,000 to 4,000 families as Thanksgiving approaches.

The Valley has already come together in remarkable ways to support the cause. The St. Thomas Aquinas Scholars at Notre Dame Preparatory High School in Scottsdale contributed 325 frozen turkeys, and Phoenix Country Day School contributed 381. Lifted Trucks, a local custom SUV and truck dealership, delivered a truck-sized donation in what marked their 10th annual partnership with the food bank.

Significant contributions have also come from WilScot, Desert Financial, Service Groups of America, U-Haul, the Phoenix Police Department, Linda McNeely Realty/EcoShield, Cox Communications and the Arizona Diamondbacks.

“We began distributing this week across Hopi and Navajo tribal lands, including Chinle, Tuba City and more,” Brown says. “Next week, we’ll distribute turkeys at our Phoenix and Surprise locations from Nov. 25 through 27.”

This Saturday, the food bank will host its annual Super Saturday Turkey Drive from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at both the Phoenix and Surprise food bank locations and 19 Albertsons and Safeway stores across the Valley. The event typically collects about 2,000 turkeys, but with 6,000 more needed, St. Mary’s is urging the community to participate.

For those unable to donate a turkey in person, a $20 online donation at www.stmarysfoodbank.org can cover the cost of a turkey and trimmings for an entire family.

“If we don’t collect enough turkeys, we’ll have to switch to chicken or another protein by next week,” Brown says. “Every donation, no matter the size, will help us feed families who need it most.”