Nov 4, 2009 7:12 pm US/Eastern
Food Bank Worried About Lack Of Turkey Donations
LOWELL (WBZ) ―
A food bank that serves some of the most severe pockets of poverty in the Commonwealth is missing a key ingredient for Thanksgiving -- turkeys. WBZ visited the
Merrimack Valley Food Bank and found the need is up but donations are down.
"It's almost Thanksgiving in some of the toughest times we've seen. How many turkeys have you had donated?," Ron asked, walking into a large freezer.
"Well, I can show you...None," said Deborah Luna Accounts Administrator for the food bank. She said normally, she would have a couple bins full of donated turkeys by now.
Donate to the Merrimack Valley Food Bank
Katherine Dec of Lowell regularly depends on the Merrimack Valley Food Bank. "So you're looking forward to a Thanksgiving dinner coming from them?" Ron asked.
"Yes. Very much so...It helps us a lot," said Dec.
The food bank, which serves 44,000 people, depends on donations and volunteers such as UMass Lowell students, who organized a food drive, or students from the Middlesex Community College "Season of Service" program.
But the bare necessities go out the door soon after they come in. Luis Singh shops for a church food pantry at the MVFB. "I love Thanksgiving and if I see that somebody can't eat a turkey on Thanksgiving, that makes me sad," said Singh.
"The need is great. It just keeps continuing," said Luna, explaining the food bank needs frozen turkeys by Nov. 16 because the agencies that distribute them shop a week in advance.
It can accept fresh turkeys until Nov. 20. "As quickly as possible is ideal because when you're dealing with frozen turkeys, there is time that's needed for the birds to thaw," said Amy Pessia, the food bank's executive director.
The people who run that food bank say turkey donations have been declining for the past two or three years.
Usually someone comes through for them in the eleventh hour, but they are more concerned by this year's lack of donations at this late date.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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