Firefighters add to turkey drive total
<p>Alice Wallace, far right, accepts a turkey donation from the Sandpoint volunteer firefighters with the help from food bank volunteers. (Photo by CAMERON RASMUSSON)</p>
SANDPOINT — After a rough couple of years, locals have mobilized to make sure every Bonner County resident has a great Thanksgiving.
According to Alice Wallace of the Bonner Community Food Center, food donations — especially when it comes to those highly-coveted turkeys — have improved dramatically this year compared to previous holiday seasons. At last count, the food bank had 775 turkeys ready to roll out. That’s still 125 birds shy of the food bank’s 900 turkey goal, but Wallace is fairly certain that incoming turkeys over Monday and Tuesday will push them over their goal.
“There has been absolutely no stressing over turkeys this year,” she said. “I’m very relieved about how well things have gone.”
Numbers were bolstered Wednesday with a welcome visit from the Sandpoint volunteer firefighters. Thanks to a food drive at the beginning of the month, they collected 325 pounds of food and $700 in donations. When added with another $500 already collected, the firefighters went shopping for more food, ultimately dropping off 100 turkeys ready. When combined with turkeys already donated, it helped the food bank creep tantalizingly close to its final goal.
The food bank also looks to be in fine condition when it comes to other hot ticket Thanksgiving items, Wallace said.
Items like stuffing, potatoes, beans and more are all well-stocked and ready for distribution.
“People have just been great with donations this year,” Wallace said.
Indeed, it’s a far cry from last year, when the food bank only received 500 turkeys by Thanksgiving. It also looks to surpass 2011’s turkey take, which totaled about 800 altogether.
Everything comes to a head on Monday and Tuesday, when the great turkey giveaway begins. From 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., volunteers will be busily handing out food items to food bank clients. Wallace expects to see a line waiting for them early that morning out of fear that latecomers will miss out.
Of course, more food is never a bad thing, so those wishing to drop off turkeys or other donations should swing by the food bank, 1707 Culvers Drive, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. In the meantime, volunteers will be busily preparing for the pre-Thanksgiving rush.
“We have really been swamped this week,” Wallace said.