Buffalo, NY (WBEN) Thursday marks the return of Turkeys for Tickets, with donors of 20 pound turkeys receiving a pair of Sabres tickets for their donation.
For agencies like FeedMore WNY, the creative donation incentive is a way to address a need that continues to grow throughout Buffalo and Western New York.
Catherine Shick with FeedMore WNY calls Turkeys for Tickets critical for families it and the City Mission serve. "We know that 1 in 8 people in our service area currently struggles with hunger, so sitting down to a plentiful Thanksgiving meal is not always a given," says Shick. She says this allows the agencies to distribute to pantries and others who give these turkeys to those in need.
Shick says hunger has always been prevalent, but there's been a recent uptick, in part because of the pandemic. "Last year, we served about 181,000 individuals in Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Erie and Niagara Counties, and that was a 36 percent increased compared to 2019," says Shick, who does not anticipate the need to decrease anytime soon. "We know we have a lot more mouths to feed, a lot more people who need our help, and we need the continued support of the community," adds Shick.
Shick says hunger is around 365 days a year, and the need never stops. "While we do see a spike during the holiday season and so many people are turning to hunger relief organizations during the holiday season, we want to remind people hunger doesn't go away after the holidays," explains Shick.
Shick says for those who cannot donate money or food, FeedMore will welcome any donation. "There is no one way to give and no wrong way to give," says Shick, whether it's a can of food, a dollar, or an hour of your time. "We encourage any donation, and are thankful for whatever people can give because it does add up."
The locations are:
*KeyBank Center Surface Lot (Enter lot from Baltimore Street, via Perry St) *Wegmans in Amherst (675 Alberta Dr., Amherst, NY 14226)
*Wegmans in West Seneca (370 Orchard Park Rd., West Seneca, NY 14224)
You can donate your turkeys at those locations from 7am to 9am and you'll receive a voucher for two tickets to a select Sabres game.
