We’ve seen an unprecedented demand since 2019. This season, we anticipate that trend continuing. We will need thousands of turkeys for Larimer County families. Help us make sure everyone in our community gets a hearty holiday meal.
The holidays are a time for giving back and helping those in need. For many people, donating a frozen turkey is a meaningful way to support local food banks, shelters, and charities during the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons. However, it’s important to donate turkeys properly so they can be distributed and used by organizations safely and efficiently. This guide covers everything you need to know about how and where to donate frozen turkeys in your community.
Contact Local Organizations Before Donating
The first step is reaching out to local nonprofits and charitable organizations to see if they accept whole frozen turkey donations Many food banks and shelters have specific guidelines and procedures for donated turkeys regarding
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Quantity – Some may only accept a certain number of turkeys based on storage constraints.
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Size – Organizations often require minimum weights, typically 12 lbs or more.
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Packaging – Turkeys may need to be bagged or boxed in a certain way.
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Labeling – Donated turkeys should be clearly marked with weight and freeze date.
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Drop-off times – Find out designated turkey donation hours and locations.
By communicating directly with local groups before donating, you can ensure your frozen turkey meets their requirements and will be readily accepted.
Look for Turkey Drives and Events
Many communities, businesses, schools, and places of worship organize special turkey drives and donation events during the holidays. These provide excellent opportunities to directly give frozen turkeys to reputable organizations for distribution.
Turkey donation events may take place at grocery stores, town halls, churches, schools, fire stations, libraries, or other public locations. Keep an eye out for turkey drives happening in your neighborhood and take your frozen bird to one of these designated drop-off points.
Food Banks and Homeless Shelters
Food banks and homeless shelters are always in need of frozen turkey donations leading up to major holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas when they provide special meals.
Most food banks have guidelines on their websites for food safety procedures, labeling instructions, minimum weights, and drop-off information. Shelters may also share turkey donation details if you call and ask how you can contribute.
Places of Worship
Local churches, synagogues, mosques, gurdwaras, and temples often collect food for those in need around the holidays. Reach out to places of worship in your community to find out if they are accepting turkey donations for holiday meals or food basket programs.
Many congregations partner with social organizations so donated turkeys can be distributed effectively.Ask if the house of worship has connections to share your frozen turkey donation locally.
Homeless and Domestic Violence Shelters
Homeless shelters and domestic violence shelters strive to make the holidays special for those they serve with holiday meals and gift baskets.
Contact local shelters in your area to learn about their turkey donation process. Some may ask you to sign up to donate a turkey in advance so they know how many to expect.
Veterans Groups
Veterans organizations help provide holiday meals for former service members and their families. Connect with Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) posts, American Legions, and other veterans groups about donating a turkey for their holiday programs.
Student veterans groups on local college campuses may also accept turkey donations for holiday events. Reach out to campus veterans resource centers to learn more.
Senior Living Facilities
Assisted living homes, nursing homes, and senior activity centers often serve special holiday meals. Offer to donate a frozen turkey to enrich the festivities for local elderly residents.
Contact the front office or activities coordinator to find out if they accept turkey donations for their holiday festivities and meals.
Additional Turkey Donation Tips
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Ensure turkeys are fully frozen and stored properly at 0°F or below before donating.
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Check the freezer expiration date and donate before that date.
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Label turkey with weight, freeze date, and include your name.
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Double-bag turkeys or place in a box to protect from thawing.
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If possible, drop off turkey donations during organization’s specified hours.
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Consider donating a grocery gift card for an organization to purchase turkeys.
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Ask organizations about other holiday food items needed besides turkeys.
The spirit of giving is at the heart of the holiday season. By properly donating a frozen turkey to a reputable local charity, food bank, shelter, or congregation in need this Thanksgiving or Christmas, you can directly help spread holiday cheer in your own community.
New Belgium Goodies for Early Birds!
The first 250 donors at both the Fort Collins and Loveland Tour de Turkey locations (see below) receive a coupon good for a 6-pack of beer at New Belgium*. We’ll also have several $50 New Belgium prize packages to give away.
Hospital workers donate frozen turkeys
FAQ
Can you donate frozen turkey?
When you donate a frozen turkey, there’s no way to guarantee someone kept it at a safe temperature or that manufacturers followed proper food safety protocols. And because of that uncertainty, food banks may not want to risk distributing them.
Can you donate frozen food to a food bank near me?
The Foodbank accepts items that have not reached expiration. This includes: Fresh produce. Frozen foods.
Can you donate leftover turkey?
Food banks must maintain high safety standards with the foods the collect and serve, so those donating should not plan to donate a fresh Thanksgiving turkey or any leftovers from a holiday meal.
What organization is giving out free turkeys?
- Food Banks. Food banks are hard at work hosting turkey drives and fundraising events to help put Thanksgiving meals on the tables of those in need. …
- United Way. …
- Meals on Wheels. …
- Salvation Army. …
- Churches and Charities.
Can you donate a frozen turkey to a food bank?
Try volunteering at a food pantry. Or, host a virtual Thanksgiving food drive to spice up your next holiday party. Before donating a frozen turkey to a food bank or pantry this Thanksgiving, learn who is accepting donations and what other ways you can help food banks.
Should you donate frozen turkeys during Thanksgiving?
Unless your local food bank has asked explicitly for frozen turkey donations, consider another way to give back during Thanksgiving. Food safety Feeding America takes food safety incredibly seriously. All the food distributed across the network of food banks, whether perishable or shelf-stable, has been appropriately checked and is safe to eat.
Do food banks donate Thanksgiving turkeys?
Food banks purchase a lot of food in bulk and at reduced wholesale prices. So, the money you would spend on a turkey might be more efficiently used as a donation to the food bank since they could buy a lot more food with it than an individual could at a local store. So, do food banks distribute them if I can’t donate a Thanksgiving turkey? Yes!
Should you donate a Turkey to food finders?
So, the money you would spend on a turkey might actually be more efficiently used as a donation to Food Finders, since we can buy a lot more food with it than an individual could at a local store. There are plenty of ways to get involved this holiday season beyond donating a turkey!
Can a food finders food bank store turkeys?
Food Finders Food Bank can deal with the same situation. During the holidays and year-round, food banks distribute a lot of food that needs to be refrigerated or frozen. With cold storage space already at a premium, many food banks would be hard-pressed to find space to store turkeys if individuals donated a number of them.
What can you donate to a food bank on Thanksgiving?
Be sure to Thanksgiving is one of the busiest times of the year for food banks. Healthy, non-perishable food items are always great to donate to food banks but may be in even higher demand around the holidays. While you’re grocery shopping or collecting items for your Thanksgiving food drive, look for items such as: