Sherae Honeycutt

KANSAS CITY, Mo — Original Post

Call it the case of the missing turkeys. A metro organization says the mix-up has them short more than 100 frozen turkeys just days before Thanksgiving.

Judy Akers, the executive vice president of Della Lamb Community Services, hopes the community can help this holiday season.

“My heart sank,” Akers said.

Akers said 30% of the organization’s turkeys for the holiday went missing.

“Through no fault of our own, we had some turkeys in cold storage, and a company sold its cold storage business, and in the process of selling the business some of the turkeys we had in storage were lost,” Akers said.

Della Lamb serves nearly 1,000 families for Thanksgiving. All of the turkeys that disappeared were already promised to families.

“We have the families who are here who need help, and we know there are families in the metro who would love to help, and this is an opportunity to connect both,” Akers said.

She’s hoping with a little more than a week until the holiday, people in the metro will step up to help. Della Lamb is asking for turkey donations or a $35 gift that would pay for an entire thanksgiving meal.

“You hear thank you in a thousand different languages. We serve multiple, multiple languages,” Akers said. “You see tears in people’s eyes. You get hugs. The appreciation is very much there, and families are so appreciative of these grocery items, and what this means for their own family situation.”

Della Lamb is in the process of changing its cold storage provider and hope they will have even more reason to thank the Kansas City metro this year.

“These neighbors are in need, and bringing a turkey or bringing these non-perishable groceries items will bless these families just as if we could imagine not having anything and receiving,” Akers said.

If you are able to donate you can do so a number of ways.

You can go to select Price Chopper stores and purchase a frozen turkey, and any of the fixings and donate them to Operation Thanksgiving. The three participating Price Choppers are:

• 6327 Brookside Plaza, Kansas City, Mo.
• 7201 W. 151st St., Overland Park, Kan.
• 937 N.W. Woods Chapel Road, Lee’s Summit, Mo.

You can bring donations to Della Lamb’s location at 500 Woodland Ave., Kansas City, Mo, anytime through Nov. 25.

Cash donations through their website are also welcomed:

• $35 donation will provide one family everything they need for Thanksgiving dinner.
• $50 donation will allow Della Lamb to purchase 57 stuffing mix packages, and 64 dozen eggs.