Provided

Students participating in the 2014 Thanksgiving Turkey Donation Drive.

Cornell Students for Hunger Relief, a program of the Public Service Center, is once again hosting a Thanksgiving Turkey Donation Drive.

This year the anticipated need has increased to 500 turkeys for local families who are dealing with food insecurity. Running through Nov. 13, the Cornell Students for Hunger Relief program is accepting donations to help support Groton Food Providers in Tompkins County, United Methodist Church Feed Elmira- Pennsylvania Avenue and Feed Elmira-Walnut Street in Chemung County.

“Many people have had unemployment run out, one or the other spouse has lost a job unexpectedly, there has been an unexpected illness in a family where medical bills have wiped out savings. In other words, they are more desperate for food and personal care items than ever before – often going without basics like toilet paper and toothpaste,” said Darlene Bachman, organizer of the Pennsylvania Avenue United Methodist Church Food Pantry.

Due to the increased need, Cornell students have begun the drive earlier this year. Their goal is to engage the Cornell community in understanding food insecurity and the severity of food insecurity on a local level. In addition to the increased need, the price of turkeys increased from $12 per turkey to $14 per turkey. The students fundraising goal is $7,000.

Each year hundreds of families in Chemung and Tompkins counties depend solely on local food pantries for basic food. Last year, the student organization raised $3,600 to donate 300 turkeys.

 Cornell Students for Hunger Relief will collect donations on Mondays from noon to 1 p.m., in Mann Library; Tuesdays from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., in Statler Hall; Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., in Trillium and in Statler Hall from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.; and Fridays from noon to 2 p.m. in Mann Library. Additional times will be posted on the Cornell Hunger Relief Facebook page. Donations of any amount can be made online, in cash or by check made payable to Cornell University, with Cornell Students for Hunger Relief in the memo line.

Online donations can be made via the Cornell Store’s online payment system (the store will donate the the 5 percent processing fee to the Turkey Drive) or via the Public Service Center website at www.psc.cornell.edu. More information: CornellHungerRelief@cornell.edu.