Food bank giving away frozen turkeys before the holidays

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The Food Bank of Northern Indiana is stocking trucks and heading out to give away hundreds of turkeys before thanksgiving. 

This comes after a generous donation by Beacon Health Systems. The employees at Beacon donated 2,893 turkeys to the food bank, measuring up to more than 37 pounds of meat. 

“This time of year we are reminded how generous this community really is,” said Marijo Martinec, the executive director at the Food Bank of Northern Indiana.  “To receive almost 3,000 I mean we are just so humbled and grateful that Beacon knows that there’s a need here in this community.”

Martinec says recently she’s seen an increase in requests for food assistance.  

“This year in particular while they say the economy is good, our pantries and our network have been extremely busy so I think the people that have in the past asked for assistance, they may be working part time and they're just really struggling,” she said. 

So she’s excited to help families in need by supplying them with a Thanksgiving turkey. 

Turkey giveaways will be happening on Friday from 10 a.m. to Noon at Shepherd’s Cove Food Pantry in Elkhart County and at the Marquette Mall Parking Lot in LaPorte County.