Volunteers hand out 2,715 Thanksgiving meals

Posted: 11/20/2014 2:07:02 PM

Thousands of Kootenai County residents who may have otherwise gone hungry on Thanksgiving received free turkey dinners this week thanks to Community Action Partnership and Turkeys for All, a local nonprofit charity.

Carolyn Shewfelt, food bank program manager for Community Action Partnership, said the Holiday Box Program attracts about 120 volunteers that help with everything from sorting food, to helping carry meals to vehicles, and even directing parking for the masses who benefit from the program.

The turkey dinners included all the trimmings: stuffing, fresh potatoes, green beans, Jell-O, fruit cocktail, pumpkin pie mix, cranberry sauce and frozen blueberries.

This year, the city of Coeur d’Alene is again proud to have helped out with this worthwhile program. “To be able to take part in helping families in need is wonderful,” said Renata McLeod, Municipal Services Director for the city. “It’s a great opportunity for the city to give back.” Volunteering with Renata were city administrator Jim Hammond and library director Bette Ammon.

Community Action Partnership is the nonprofit, national organization representing the interests of the 1,100 Community Action Agencies (CAAs) across the country that annually help 17 million low-income Americans.

Founded by Jim Myers of Coeur d’Alene, Kootenai County-based Turkeys for All seeks to raise enough money year round to be able to supply the local food bank with enough birds to feed every family that registers for the Holiday Box Program. Despite the outstanding efforts of Turkeys for All, the need in Kootenai County was so great this year, 700 of the 2,715 meals did not include turkeys.


Renata McLeod, Municipal Services Director for Coeur d’Alene, helps a woman with her free turkey meal out to her car.