In Rutherford County, the food insecurity rate for children was last reported to be 13.5%, according to feedingamerica.org numbers from 2022. This shows an increase from 2020. Feeding America defines food insecurity as when people can’t access the food they need to live their fullest lives.
One of my favorite memories of the holidays, especially Thanksgiving, was waking up and smelling my mother’s sweet potato pie in the oven.
However, for some families in Rutherford County, those memories are fading due to the cost of Thanksgiving dinners. Kids are out of school for the week, and some parents are having to decide whether to provide standard food for the week or make a special Thanksgiving dinner. When I am not focusing on my tech-related work from September through November, I help my wife with our annual turkey giveaway.
In 2015, my wife and I wanted to help address the need for families to create Thanksgiving holiday memories by providing a frozen turkey to families in the community. Over the years, the program has evolved from providing only a turkey to a full traditional Thanksgiving box.
When I sat down with my wife, Michelle Glenn, I asked her about a story or memorable moments from past events.
“One of the main ones that sticks out immediately would be the single mom we delivered a box to in 2020. Her fiancé had just recently passed, and we wanted to make sure she received a box that year. This year will be her third year of giving back and volunteering with us by delivering boxes to other families,” Michelle said.
One of the frequently asked questions we receive is how we pay for the food. One of the biggest challenges is funding. The Glenn Turkey Giveaway is not tax-exempt, so we crowdfund and ask our friends and families to donate a box.
Due to the pandemic, we shifted from events to deliveries in 2020. In 2020, we delivered 38 boxes, which has grown ever since. This year, we expect to help 75 families, with over 20 volunteers who will deliver the boxes to families two weeks before Thanksgiving.
We use technology to help fundraise and find families to help. We collect the names and addresses via social media and use apps to help the delivery drivers find the most suitable route.
“My best advice for anyone wanting to start a similar community initiative is to start small, keep the passion for helping people, and stay encouraged,” said Michelle. “What you see today is not how we started. You will make mistakes and learn from them.”
Over the years, the Glenn Turkey Giveaway has evolved from a community event in its first year, which included face painting, spoken word and balloon animals, to an opportunity that allows community members to serve their neighbors by dropping off a box at their door.
When I think about some of the responses over the years that have stood out to me, one in particular is, “This is the first time I have been able to make a Thanksgiving dinner for my family.”
Michelle hopes for the Glenn Turkey Giveaway to continue to meet the needs of our community during the Thanksgiving holiday, to grow our impact and encourage others to get involved. For more information or to get involved in the Glenn Turkey Giveaway, contact Byron and Michelle Glenn at glennturkeygiveaway@yahoo.com or find the Glenn Turkey Giveaway on Facebook.
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Photo, top, courtesy of Luis Quintero / Pexels
