The Denver Rescue Mission today said it managed to collect enough frozen turkeys to meet food-basket demand for Thanksgiving and still have another 4,000 left over for Christmas.
The mission kicked off its annual turkey drive Nov. 1, hoping to collect at least 10,000 frozen birds. By Thanksgiving day, individuals, corporations, families and organizations had filled the freezers with 18,175 turkeys.
“We can’t thank you enough for the kind and generous donations provided during the holiday season,” mission president and CEO Brad Meuli wrote in a letter to the public and donors today. “You have made a significant difference in the lives of so many men, women and families.”
In addition to food-basket distribution, turkeys were given to clients and program participants through mission community outreach events, including the Thanksgiving Banquet-in-a-Box distribution for 1,250 families and the Great Thanksgiving Banquet hosted by Gov. John Hickenlooper and Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock, where about 400 meals were served to the homeless.
The mission acts as a “turkey warehouse” for at least 96 different service agencies in Colorado who distribute thousands of birds to homeless and low-income men, women and families during the holiday season. Some of the agencies include: Frierson International Ministries, Volunteers of America, WINN Ministries, Angels Cove International, Inc., House of Hope Christian Ministry, Aurora Public Schools, Mean Street Ministry, Montbello High, Redistribution Center, Riverside Baptist Church, Metro Caring, and Westminster Outreach Food Bank.
