Turkey Prices Down This Year

Thanksgiving season often marks the low point for the retail markup for whole turkeys. This year, low wholesale prices are likely a good sign for price-conscious consumers.

The average price for a whole frozen hen in August was just under 97 cents per pound, 3% below January and 19% below August 2016. As of the fourth week of September, prices had fallen farther to 96 cents. The last time wholesale prices were below $1 per pound as late as September was in 2010.

Source: USDA, 11/6/17, Turkey Prices

With turkey prices down this year, please consider purchasing a turkey (or several) and donating them to Foodshare!

To find a local drive near year visit ATurkeyand30.org!

23rd Annual HOG Turkey Run

Please join us on Sunday, October 29th for the 23rd Annual HOG Turkey Run sponsored by the Hartford Harley Owners Group (HOG) and Gengras Harley Davidson!

This innovative turkey drive will kick-off our 2017 Turkey and Thirty Campaign. Interested riders can register at Gengras Harley Davidson in East Hartford from 10-11:45 am.  At 12:00 pm police will escort all riders from Gengras Harley Davidson to Foodshare in Bloomfield followed by lunch at Salute. The cost is one frozen turkey per person or $30 per bike. All checks should be made out to Foodshare.

MFN Shares Words of Gratitude

Recently, our Food Sourcing Coordinator Lauren visited MFN at Zion Lutheran Church in Bristol and received a wonderful poster signed by dozens of clients thanking us for the turkeys they received through Foodshare's Turkey and Thirty campaign. Cheryl Yetke, MFN's director, has made this gesture of gratitude an annual tradition. 

MFN opened its doors in 1982 and has since served over 875,000 meals and this year alone, the Emergency Food Pantry provided food to 1,507 families. MFN is also one of Foodshare's CSFP sites, serving up to 25 seniors after its establishment in July. They even add fresh produce from local farmers to the boxes they receive for added nutrition. 

Cheryl Yetke, Director, with donated toys

During the holidays, Paul Eckstrom and his dedicated volunteers host community dinners; 300 meals were delivered to neighbors who cannot leave their homes, and they served 170 more people in their kitchen. For Thanksgiving, MFN distributed over 300 turkey baskets from Foodshare and Gabe's Basket Brigade. MFN's clothing porch is full thanks to local volunteers and Best Cleaners' donation of 1,200 gently used winter coats. A toy drive brought in hundreds of toys for children from United Way, retired firefighters and police officers, local pubs, and the Veterans Council. 

One volunteer, Laurie, mentioned a moment that stood out to her over the years...a man came in for a winter coat and was teary-eyed as she held up a donated LL Bean vest. The expression on his face is “branded” in her mind and made her even more dedicated to eradicating hunger in Bristol. 

Thank you MFN for your successful efforts in providing for our neighbors! Foodshare is fortunate to have you as a partner. 

Our Hungry Neighbors Were Seen and Heard

During our Thanksgiving season Foodshare staff members, Bea and Jim received a generous donation from AdTech Systems, an audio-visual tech company in Manchester.

Members from the firm were able to support our hungry neighbors with 23 turkeys and 10 bags of food.

Thank you AdTech Systems for your support during the holiday season!

Traded in Suits for Gloves

In addition to turkeys, many corporate groups flew into the warehouse during our Thanksgiving season to sort through donated food and provide our hungry neighbors with a healthy meal. Cigna was among those groups, raising nearly $13,000 to benefit local families and spending time volunteering with us. Thank you!

Students Schooled On Hunger

Just a few hours before it was time to take off and  enjoy a festive dinner with family, Foodshare staff  received a visit from a trail of 6-12th graders from the Metropolitan Learning Center, bringing with them donations of non-perishable food.

The  inquisitive group of young people had the opportunity to take a tour of the warehouse, led by Warehouse Manager, Rich. 

For the past ten years the school has run a Turkey and Thirty campaign in support of Foodshare's work to feed our hungry neighbors during the holiday season and beyond.

Thank you Metropolitan Learning Center for being so committed to helping local families put food on the table!

View more photos >

Hungry Families Stuffed by Pepperidge Farm

Pepperidge Farm in Bloomfield has been an active participant in Foodshare's Turkey and Thirty campaign for the past 5 years. This year, they provided 2,580 pounds of stuffing for hungry families!

Foodshare is grateful for neighbors like Pepperidge Farm and their driver Bill!

Wethersfield Volunteer Ambulance Responds to Turkey Alarm

Wethersfield Volunteer Ambulance has been supporting Foodshare's Turkey and Thirty Campaign for many years, and we couldn't be more grateful.

This year's drive, supported by The River 105.9 radio personality Joe Aguiar, collected 249 turkeys for families in need and $3,939 thanks to the generosity of nearby residents!

Grocery Stores Stuffed with Generosity

Foodshare's Turkey and Thirty campaign this year could not have been successful without the support of our local retail partners. Thank you to Big Y, Stop & Shop, ShopRite, Westside Marketplace, and Highland Park Market for your turkey drives and for offering to be collection sites!

Connecting You to Turkey: NBC Connecticut Turkey Drive

NBC Connecticut's "Connecting You to Joy" annual food drive provided Foodshare with $1,038 and 203 turkeys for our hungry neighbors. Thank you NBC Connecticut for supporting our Turkey and 30 campaign!

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Glastonbury Town Drives Break the Bank

The Glastonbury community rallied this Thanksgiving, collecting a total of 443 turkeys to ensure hundreds of neighboring families could join the celebration. 

First Church of Christ Congregational raised $3,375 and collected 162 turkeys.
 Stop & Shop collected 281 turkeys along with $9,323. Glastonbury High School hosted a drive bringing in an additional $3,235!

In total the town raised $14,192 -- a $10,000 increase over last year!

Thank you so much for your incredible generosity, Glastonbury! 

10 Turkeys of a Feather Donated Together

Advocating against hunger is often a life-long passion, especially for those who have worked at Foodshare. Jill Nulsen, a former Foodshare employee, graciously made a donation to our Turkey and Thirty campaign, and this is what she had to say about her gift:

"Have you ever brought a meal to a family because they are going through a tough time? A loss, a surgery, a serious illness? If you have, you know the gratitude felt when you are willing to extend yourself for another family. Now multiply that by 15,000 families.....that is Foodshare's work this Thanksgiving, through you.

In the space of about 30 minutes, my family touched 10 families in Greater Hartford through the donation of 10 turkeys. Ten families!!! When was the last time you had an opportunity to do that, even in a year's time? I won't see their faces, but because Foodshare is in a position to know exactly who needs our help, I know there will be a Thanksgiving meal at their homes. Foodshare's positioning is critical to not only meeting the need, but knowing how to logistically make it happen. This Thanksgiving, I am so grateful to be a part once again of that community that nurtures and cares for one another."

Thank you, Jill, for continuing to support our neighbors in need! It's activists and donors like you that make it possible for us to do what we do.

State Officials Bring in the Birds

In the spirit of the holiday season, employees at the State Office Building hosted a Turkey and Thirty drive to provide our hungry neighbors with a traditional Thanksgiving meal. 

For the 12th year in a row, Joseph Steckel coordinated a turkey drive on behalf of the Department of Public Health in Hartford, collecting 102 turkeys and raised $2,438. Employees at the State Office Building also supported the effort with 119 turkeys and $4,001.

THANK YOU!

Longtime Foodshare Volunteer Accepts Turkey From BNI

Just recently, one of our most dedicated and loyal volunteers Andrew Stern accepted a turkey donation from the Business Networking International (BNI) chapter of Greater Hartford. The chapter has held a turkey drive in support of our hungry neighbors for 8 years.

The turkey was presented to Andrew from the chapter's president, Andrea Agostinucci. Thanks to their efforts they were successful in collecting 10 turkeys and raising $380. 

Thank you Andrea and your fellow colleagues for supporting Foodshare's efforts to end hunger!

Free Spirits Lift Spirits

Along with serving up spirits, Back East Brewery, Waypoint Spirits, and Olde Burnside Brewing provided our hungry neighbors with a serving of hope this Thanksgiving.

Thank you to all the breweries for your support this holiday season!

              View photos >

Thanks to Asylum Hill Congregational Church!

Members of the Asylum Hill Congregational Church greatly expressed their giving spirit, by successfully collecting 100 turkeys and $70 in donations to provide our hungry neighbors with a Thanksgiving meal!

Thank you to all for supporting Foodshare during the Thanksgiving season!

My Giving Story: The Power of Peace

In 2013, Power of Peace was founded by Abhiram, Meghana, Sreenidhi, Neha, and Kumar. Power of Peace stepped forward to raise money for an orphanage in Bangor, India, as well as “close-to-home” charities, mostly those focused on children. The group has since expanded to 20 members, and one of their goals for the past few years has been to eradicate hunger.

             How will you give back today?
 

D'esopo Family Teams Up with Brad Davis

Thanks, once again, to the generous D'Esopo Family for hosting a Turkey and Thirty drive to benefit all of our hungry neighbors this Thanksgiving. With a location in Wethersfield and East Hartford, as well as a guest appearance by Brad Davis--host of WDRC's Talk of Connecticut--the group collected a total of 162 turkeys and $4,520 to support our hungry neighbors during the Thanksgiving season!

Turkeys Hit The West End

There was a cheerful and giving spirit in West Hartford recently.

Thanks to Peter Chenette, a long-time friend of Foodshare, the Joseph family-owned ShopRite, and local residents, a total of 62 turkeys and $3,573 was collected to provide our hungry neighbors with a Thanksgiving meal this holiday season!

St. Thomas the Apostle Church Leads by Example

St. Thomas the Apostle Church in West Harford collected 90 turkeys for Foodshare. Thank you for feeding our hungry friends and neighbors!

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