SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4 News) Thanksgiving is a week away, but the rush to get the turkey on the table has already begun. The Utah Food Bank is looking for 10,000 turkeys right now to meet holiday needs.
Jim Pugh, the director of the Utah Food Bank says the economy has created unprecedented need. “There are just more and more people in the state of Utah that are just living right on the edge. People are having to make hard choices between paying for the groceries and paying their rent on time.”
Many are turning to the food bank to help them make ends meet. The Utah Food Bank has seen a 35% increase in need in the past year. To meet the needs of hungry families this holiday, the food bank needs 28,000 turkeys. So far, they have received 18,000, and that means there are 10,000 turkeys still needed. Jim Pugh says the goal is not to let anyone go without a feast. “We want to do everything we can to make sure that there is not a family out there that needs help that can’t find a turkey, a box of food, all of the fixings they need for that Thanksgiving meal.”
The Utah Food Bank is also in need of high protein items, and those who work there say it’s important to remember that hunger doesn’t end after the Thanksgiving holiday; however they say that’s usually when the giving of thanks begins. “Every year we get letters from families who have said, without this, we wouldn’t have had a Thanksgiving dinner.”
To donate to the Utah Food Bank, you can visit between 8:00 am and 9:00pm at the new location, 3150 South 900 West, Salt Lake City. You can also visit their website at www.utahfoodbank.org
