The 2000 Turkeys campaign is underway as more people turn to food banks for help.
The 41st annual 2000 Turkeys campaign kicked off Oct. 2, and donations will help Food Helpers, the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, and City Mission Boxes of Love to provide Thanksgiving dinners to Washington County families in need.
In Washington County, more than 18,820 people – about 1 in 8 – face food insecurity, according to Food Helpers. Of those, 20% are children and 30% are seniors.
That is why donations to 2000 Turkeys are so important.
“We are seeing a 20% to 25% increase since last year in people looking for support for food,” said Food Helpers President and CEO George Omiros. “There are many people, especially in the Mon Valley area, who have lost their jobs, and we have had an uptick in requests for food in Washington County. More people are coming to our monthly distributions.”
More people are turning to the Pittsburgh Food Bank, too, as their dollars are stretched and they struggle to make ends meet.
Pittsburgh Food Bank said federal cuts have contributed to more people coming through the door. The 2000 Turkeys donation is especially welcome this year, said Jennifer Zgurich, Director of Corporate and Community Giving, as pantries and partners distribute more food than they have in the food bank’s history.
In the past year, Pittsburgh Food Bank, which provides meals to Washington County pantries, and its partners distributed 53 million meals, the highest amount on record and 5 million more meals than the previous year.
“2000 Turkeys is a wonderful example of what it means to truly be a community. It’s neighbors helping neighbors,” said Zgurich. “2000 Turkeys shows Washington County’s unwavering commitment. The effort takes away the worry of providing a holiday meal with all of the fixings, for both families and the partners who are working hard to serve them. It stretches dollars at a time where finances are most strained and gives families the ability to simply enjoy time around the dinner table during the holidays.”
2000 Turkeys aims to raise an estimated $150,000 to provide Thanksgiving dinners for about 19,000 neighbors struggling to provide a holiday meal for their families.
There will be plenty of opportunities to donate to 2000 Turkeys before Thanksgiving.
To make a donation, you can send a check addressed to 2000 Turkeys, P.O Box 2000, Washington, Pa., 15301.
Range Resources, a longtime supporter of 2000 Turkeys, will hold its annual fundraising drive on Wednesday, Nov. 19, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in downtown Washington and Canonsburg.
The company’s volunteers – bolstered by about 170 students from Washington County school districts – will collect donations, which Range Resources will match up to $25,000.
“We were thrilled when 170 students signed up to volunteer for the Range Resources 2000 Turkeys Drive – in under 24 hours,” said Laural Ziemba, 2000 Turkeys board member and
Range Resources Director of Public Affairs. “It’s a clear indicator that these students find the campaign as meaningful as we do. It’s encouraging to see that each year, more students are taking responsibility to support their community and see that every family has a Thanksgiving meal on their table.”
2000 Turkeys was started in 1984 by the late Byron Smialek of the Observer-Reporter, the late Wayne Armstrong, Pete Povich of WJPA Radio, and Grace Hopwood to provide a holiday meal to the large number of people who became unemployed by the loss of steel and glass manufacturing.
Since then, the grassroots effort has grown to include local businesses, schools, community organizations, and individuals.
“We continue to carry on the works of taking care of those folks here in Washington County who are food insecure. There is absolutely no reason anyone should go hungry,especially on Thanksgiving,” said Canonsburg Mayor Dave Rhome, a member of the 2000 Turkeys board.
The board also includes Bob Pinarski, group publisher for the Observer-Reporter, and Jacob Knizner, promotions director at WJPA. The O-R and WJPA co-sponsor the annual event – as they have for all 41 years.
Rhome said 100% of all donations are used to provide Washington County families with a holiday meal.
Said Omiros, “We’re grateful for the residents of Washington County who donate to 2000 Turkeys, and we’re encouraging them to make a donation so people can enjoy Thanksgiving.”
Thank you to the following for their generous donations:
Brenda Bomblatus, $100
Debra R. Huggins, $50
Nancy E. Hunter, $1,000
Walter and Marleen Lerch, $50
Glen Martin, $50
Suzanne M. McCord, $150
Ducan Nickles, $150
Victor and Laura Perri, $200
Pamela A. Ross, $100
Danny Isimingers Auto Service and Splish Splash Car Wash, $200
Washington Lodge No. 164 F&AM (Blue Ride), $2,000