Mel Trotter Ministries and Feeding America West Michigan are teaming up once again for their annual Turkey Drop.
However, because of inflation, the need this year is greater than ever.
Beth Fisher, the Chief Advancement Officer at Mel Trotter, said they are hoping to collect 5,000 turkeys.
"I don't know if you guys heard, there's a little bit of a turkey shortage," she added.
It's not just a shortage of turkeys working against them. The price of the turkeys that are available has also increased.
For example, Fisher said a $15 donation would have provided one turkey in 2021. This year, that number has jumped to $20.
The impact, though, is unchanged.
"We are folks who are not experiencing homelessness," she said. "So for folks in our community who are, in fact, experiencing homelessness, it's just it's an incredible situation. Even families that are just saying, 'I don't know how I'm going to be able to afford to feed my family this year.' From a Thanksgiving perspective, a Thanksgiving meal is very expensive."
The Turkey Drop will take place on November 16 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. You can drop off your turkeys, or monetary donations, at two different locations: Celebration Cinema North & South.
Once the turkeys are dropped off, Feeding America West Michigan picks them up and distributes them to different food pantries across the area.
Ken Estelle, the President and CEO of Feeding America West Michigan, said, “It's really a bit about dignity. Families really want to have something special for the holidays. Today, with inflation, a lot of families are just not able to afford it. So when we see them getting a turkey, it really makes them feel (like), 'Okay, I'm a normal family. I have something that I can celebrate.' It gives them that bit of comfort and dignity for the holidays."
He continued, "It's a real encouragement to us when we go and see folks being able to get the turkey. The kids that are like, 'Oh, we get a real holiday meal.' It's something special that helps them feel normal. A lot of times, they're just dealing with the stress of having to make decisions about paying rent, or utilities, or prescriptions or buying food. This is something that's kind of special that normally (would) not (be) available.”