For the 8th year, Campus Kitchen at UGA is hosting Turkeypalooza. Organizers collect food to provide holiday meals for older adults and families as well as homebound individuals.
Brad Turner is Program Coordinator.
“We are partnered with our community agency, the Athens Community Council on Aging and Turkeypalooza is the one time of the year where we serve above and beyond our Campus Kitchen regular 50ish ACCA client families,” Turner said. “Where we help the council on Aging serve individuals all across northeast Georgia with a Thanksgiving meal basket that includes a turkey and all the fixings for a Thanksgiving meal for four to six people.”
Suzie Henderson is with AmeriCorps VISTA. She helps oversee the day-to-day operations at Campus Kitchen.
“We do a lot to educate about issues of food waste and food insecurity, but our main mission is to serve families of elderly adults around Athens who are food insecure,” according to Henderson. “Particularly grandparents raising their grandchildren, families where the head of household is a senior citizen and also people who are on waiting lists for programs like Meals on Wheels.”
The effort is making a difference. Last year 38 campus and community organizations donated almost 3,000 cans, boxes and bags of off during the drive.
Organizations from around the community have until 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18, to register to participate in the can drive by visiting www.ckuga.org.
