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2000 Turkeys campaign begins

3 min read
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It’s Turkey time.

More specifically, it’s 2000 Turkeys time.

Thanksgiving Day is less than seven weeks away, and the annual grass roots campaign, which aims to provide Thanksgiving dinners for the more than 6,000 families in Washington County who will struggle to put a meal on the table this holiday, is underway.

Connie Burd, executive director of the Greater Washington County Food Bank, said 1 in 5 people in the United States is food-insecure, and food insecurity exists in Washington County.

She estimates about 19,000 people, more than half of whom are children and senior citizens, are in need of help from the Food Bank during the holiday season.

Burd said the Food Bank receives some funding from local, state and federal government initiatives, but relies on community support to meet its goals to provide food for the food insecure.

“2000 Turkeys pays for all the holiday meals,” said Burd.

2000 Turkeys’ goal is to raise $100,000 to make sure every family being served by the Food Bank will enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner this year.

Each $20 donation provides a Thanksgiving meal for a family of four. The 2000 Turkeys campaign, co-sponsored by the Observer-Reporter and WJPA Radio, has been around since the early 1980s, when it was launched to help feed the underemployed and unemployed throughout the county.

Every year, the Food Bank, the families who receive Thanksgiving dinners, and the 2000 Turkeys board is amazed by – and grateful for – the overwhelming generosity of the individuals, organizations and businesses who donate to 2000 Turkeys.

The willingness of people to make a positive difference in the lives of their neighbors is the driving force behind the effectiveness of the 2000 Turkeys campaign, and it is an example of what can be accomplished when we work together.

No donation is too small. We are happy to accept penny jars collected by school children and sizable checks given generously by local businesses and organizations.

Much work must be done between now and Nov. 24.

So, if you’re hosting a Steelers party, how about asking your family and friends to pitch in a couple of bucks for 2000 Turkeys when they show up with their chips and salsa? Or, hold a casual dress day at work, and have everyone throw in a dollar or two for 2000 Turkeys.

Every penny from the 2000 Turkeys campaign goes toward making sure we have enough dinners for those families in need.

To donate, send a check to 2000 Turkeys, P.O. Box 2000, Washington, PA 15301.

Or stop by WJPA Radio or the Observer-Reporter to drop off a donation.

We thank you.

Note: The deadline to sign up with the Food Bank for Thanksgiving dinner for families who qualify is Oct. 15. Visit one of the Food Bank’s 45 food pantries/distribution sites, or call the Food Bank at 724-632-2190. Visit the Food Bank website, www.gwcfb.org, for pantry locations. Please bring proof of residency and a driver’s license.

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