Salvation Army Hands Out 1,000 Turkeys To Families In Need

SOUTH LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) - Families lined the blocks around the South Los Angeles Salvation Army on Saturday morning, getting an early start on their Thanksgiving dinners.

1,000 turkeys were handed out to families in need, in hopes of making the Holiday season a little easier on everyone, especially those still reeling from the blows dealt by the Coronavirus pandemic.

For many families, it was their only chance at salvaging a good Thanksgiving meal.

That's why transportation company transportation company CMA CGM helped foot the bill for the turkeys this year. Edward Aldridge, President of the company said, "We know the pandemics been very tough this year on a lot of families ... this is a special year to take care of these families."

Other factors that contribute to the extraordinarily tough year are the shipping crisis affecting not only the United States, but the entire world.

The port backlogs, lack of trucks and lack of drivers are a huge part of why prices are skyrocketing at grocery stores in America - empty shelves equals higher demand.

Aldridge assured that things are changing: "We're making a dent in the situation. I anticipate things will get better, it's gonna take some time. ... With the focus and attention we have, things are beginning to move."

Like most other prices in 2021, food prices have made a drastic jump since 2020. Numbers indicate that food prices are up 5% from last year.

The high demand for turkey as the nation heads into Thanksgiving has resulted in a 20% increase in prices for the seasonal-favorite poultry.

An estimated 1-in-5 Californians isn't sure where their next meal is coming from.

For those families, it's time to make a change according to Salvation Army Metro Coordinator Sean Kelsey, "We really need to step up to help families."

This isn't the end of the turkey-day giveaways, as 500 turkeys will be given away at area Salvation Army's around the nation throughout next week. This will result in 12,000 handed out around the nation.