Puyallup Food Bank in need of more donated turkeys

The Puyallup Food Bank is facing a turkey crisis.

A look in the freezer at the Puyallup Food Bank warehouse on 23rd St. S.E. will show very few turkeys on ice waiting to go home with a family in need this Thanksgiving.

Shanna Peterson, executive director of the food bank, said there have only been a handful of turkeys that have been donated over the past month.

“We’ve had a few turkeys come in since our Facebook post and some promise of more to come,” Peterson said. “Last Thanksgiving, we distributed 500-600 turkeys.”

With what’s come in so far and with the promise made by a few that more is coming, Peterson said the food bank will be lucky to distribute a meager 100 to 120 turkeys this season.

It’s unclear whether all the hype on the national news about a turkey shortage has got people desperately holding onto their turkeys and not donating any. Because of the avian influenza outbreak that hit many Midwestern poultry farms this past spring, analysts predict there will be a smaller supply of turkeys this season, which could result in higher prices at the grocery store.

But Peterson believes it has nothing to do with the hype, and probably more to do with a lack of awareness.

“My thought is the community just isn’t aware of the need,” Peterson said. “Hopefully, we can raise the awareness about the many people in need in the community.”

The number of families per month currently utilizing the food bank is startling.

Peterson said she remembers only a few years ago when the food bank was serving approximately 400 families per month. Today, that number has jumped exponentially — to 1,800 families per month.

“(These families are) the hard working in our community having a hard time making ends meet,” she said. “They’re in a place having to make those difficult choices. Do I make my car payment, pay rent, pay my kids’ doctor bills, or do we eat? We want to make sure that they don’t put putting food on the table in the difficult choices to make. Food shouldn’t be one of those difficult choices of going without.”

Peterson said any family in need of food qualifies for groceries from the food bank every 30 days. Peterson said there are no income qualifications.

“There are so many families who don’t receive any type of assistance, because they make too much money,” she said. “But they have to pay medical bills out of their own pocket, or maybe their mortgage payment is a bit higher. There are many working families that are slipping through the cracks that are going hungry.”

During the months of November and December, the 30-day grocery supply includes stuffing mix, packets of gravy mix, pumpkin and evaporated milk, cranberry and other holiday dinner favorites. And if there are enough turkeys, each family receives a turkey in their 30-day supply.

“We also try to give grocery gift cards in five dollar and ten dollar increments,” Peterson said. “It gives them the opportunity to go out (and get something extra) like brown sugar for their yams that we weren’t able to put in the grocery items.”

Peterson said the food bank can also always use more gift cards, in addition to donated turkeys.

“Gift cards are a huge blessing year-round,” she said.

Peterson said the Lord is so good, and the people of Puyallup are so gracious. She said the food bank has the ability to meet the needs of families struggling to put food on the table because of the continuing gracious support of the community.

People who wish to donate a turkey to the food bank may drop them off at the food bank warehouse, 110 23rd St. S.E., from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. If people need to drop off a turkey after hours, they are encouraged to message the food bank on the food bank Facebook page.

“We’re really good about responding,” Peterson said.

This story was originally published November 16, 2015 at 3:37 PM with the headline "Puyallup Food Bank in need of more donated turkeys."