Here’s how you can help feed Arizona families in need for Thanksgiving

PHOENIX — Several charities want to help Arizona families gobble down festive food this Thanksgiving.

The largest operation is St. Mary’s Food Bank, which launches a yearly turkey drive that is currently 6,000 birds short of its goal, according to Jerry Brown, the nonprofit’s director of public relations.

“In the two weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, we project we’re gonna distribute 23,000 turkeys across the state,” Brown told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News on Friday.

St. Mary’s started handing out turkeys last weekend up in the Navajo and Hopi tribal lands. They will continue handing out turkeys on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

“We’ve been doing this for about 40 years and we’re a little shy of where we normally are at this point of the year, so there’s some concern,” Brown said.

Inflation has led to a surge of Arizona families seeking help from food banks, Brown said. St. Mary’s expects to surpass last year’s total of 21,000 turkeys distributed for Thanksgiving.

How to help feed the hungry in Arizona this Thanksgiving

Donors can help families in need for Thanksgiving through St. Mary’s in several ways. One is by dropping off items at the food bank’s two Valley locations: at 31st Avenue and Thomas Road in Phoenix or at Dysart and Bell roads in Surprise.

“The Phoenix Police Department is having a turkey drive for us at their Desert Horizon precinct at 56th Street and Greenway, so there’s three locations,” Brown said.

Additionally, there’s a big event called Super Saturday going on from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at six Albertson’s and 13 Safeway locations across metro Phoenix.

People who want to help feed the hungry can also go to the nonprofit’s website to donate money.

“A $20 donation not only puts a turkey on the table, but an entire meal. We’ll have a food box with the pumpkin pie and and cranberry sauce, stuffing and then a produce bag with onions and carrots and all kinds of things and potatoes so that grandma and mom can just go nuts and put together a great spread for the family,” Brown said.

Other turkey drive events for HeroZona, Desert Mission Food Bank

St. Mary’s isn’t the only Valley charity doing turkey distributions for Thanksgiving.

In fact, the HeroZona Foundations and Sons of the American Legion are hosting the 21st annual Thanksgiving drive-thru turkey giveaway on Saturday at 16th Street and Dr. MLK Jr. Boulevard.

Families who visit the event, which starts at 9 a.m., can get one free frozen turkey while supplies last. There are no income requirements and they don’t have to show their IDs.

In addition, Desert Mission Food Bank is seeking donations so it can pass out over 2,000 turkeys and holiday groceries, such as dry beans, bottled water, canned veggies and beans and pasta.

Desert Mission is located on the campus of the HonorHealth John C. Lincoln Medical Center on Fourth Street north of Dunlap Road in Phoenix.