ALTON - Local families and community members received 100 turkeys for Thanksgiving.
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On Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, Meridian Health donated 100 turkeys to families who utilize the Crisis Food Center in Alton. State Senator Erica Harriss was present to distribute the turkeys, and she noted her enthusiasm for helping local families while sharing more resources with the community.
“I think people don’t always know what their state legislators do,” she said. “They know that we maybe go to Springfield and work on bills and laws, but this is, to me, the very fun and great part of being able to be connected in our district and meeting people and seeing what their needs are, and, if we can meet those, getting to do that. That, to me, is a great part of this job.”
Harriss shared that her office has received more calls than last year from people who are seeking resources, including people experiencing food insecurity. She said the turkey giveaway was “a really great opportunity” to help ease some of these struggles this holiday season.
Jeffrey Isbell with Meridian Health noted that Harriss has been “a phenomenal partner” in the turkey giveaway for the past two years. Meridian Health serves low-income individuals and those with complex health needs. They have donated 5,000 turkeys to food banks throughout the State of Illinois this year, including 100 at Crisis Food Center.
“Being able to donate turkeys during this holiday season, it makes us feel all warm inside, but we also know that we’re making a huge impact in the lives of hundreds of families,” Isbell said. “We take the approach of understanding the importance of transforming the health of communities one individual at a time. So by helping individuals and being super local, hyperlocal, we know that helping this family ultimately helps the neighborhood and helps greater communities like here in Alton.”
This philosophy also guides Crisis Food Center, which distributes food every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. They see hundreds of people from across the Greater St. Louis region every month.
“We generally do around 800 families a month, so it’s busy, busier than we want it to be. It means a lot of people need it,” said Nick Kessinger, who helps oversee the center. “We have new donors, but it hasn’t really offset inflation. It’s more money in but it’s also a lot more money out.”
Kessinger said Crisis Food Center has considered distributing turkeys to its families, but this cost is upwards of $10,000 every year. He expressed appreciation for donors like Meridian, who made it possible for Crisis Food Center families to receive turkeys this year.
He added that they are always looking for donations, and he encouraged people to contact Crisis Food Center for more information about donating. If you are experiencing food insecurity, check out this article on RiverBender.com for more information about local resources, including Crisis Food Center.
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