x
Breaking News
More () »

Mel Trotter Ministries holds 19th annual Turkey Drop

A West Michigan tradition is back to help families before the Thanksgiving holiday. Here's what you can do to help.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — With the high price of groceries, families may need a little extra help this holiday season. A West Michigan tradition is back to help: The Mel Trotter Ministries Turkey Drop.

Mel Trotter Ministries is dedicating an entire day to collecting as many frozen turkeys as possible for the Grand Rapids area.

Participating in the Turkey Drop is easy. You just drive up and drop off a frozen turkey at Celebration Cinema North or Celebration Cinema South on Wednesday, Nov. 16 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.

The goal this year is to collect over 6,800 turkeys, which was last year's total, so more individuals and families will be able to have a delicious dinner this Thanksgiving.

"We need to surpass (that goal) this year, because our partners at Feeding America are telling us the food banks are saying they're serving more people than they ever have before, and more people are asking for help," said Mel Trotter President and CEO Dennis Van Kampen. "And here's a thing that we know about a turkey—that's great for Thanksgiving, but also a family can, with leftovers, that can help feed a family for well over a week. This is a really important goal."

If you cannot drop off a turkey, the organization is also accepting monetary donations. Those funds will be used to purchase turkeys for the Thanksgiving Community Meal.

Plus, any gifts above or beyond the goal will go to feeding guests during the winter months, as 1 in 3 families is fighting food insecurity.

In addition, 600 volunteers are needed to help at the Community Meal. For more information or to find out how you can help, click here.

Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.

Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Before You Leave, Check This Out