Local Food Shelf Needs Your Help

Donations Down, Demand Up

WPTZ- November 10, 2009

COLCHESTER, Vt. — As many people are look forward to a thanksgiving meal others are wondering if they’ll be able to have one at all.

The Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf is beginning its annual turkey drive, but workers there said it’s been a hard year, with more people than normal coming in for food and only half the donations of last year.

The director said some food drives that used to bring in 25,000 pounds of food only brought in 2,000. He said the tough economy is the problem, and the winter months are usually harder as people start to pay heating bills.

This season the Food Shelf wants to get 2,700 turkeys to give out.

The director said that for people who have a hard enough time getting a meal every day — much less a Thanksgiving turkey — the holidays can be rough.

“This is a time of year that brings a lot of stress to people,” said the director of the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf, Rob Meehan. “So we’re hoping that we can alleviate some of that stress by providing turkeys for Thanksgiving, and hams for other times of the year, things like that.”

Anyone who wants to donate a turkey, or any other food, can bring it directly to the food shelf at 228 North Winooski Ave. in Burlington. That’s at the corner of North Winooski Avenue and North Union Street.