Call for turkeys

COEUR d'ALENE - The Community Action Partnership food bank began its Thanksgiving food distribution on Tuesday morning with 18 turkeys - which were gone in 5 minutes.

It had 2,587 families sign up - with hundreds more who didn't register by Oct. 31 waiting to see if there would be turkeys left over next week.

More than 300 families went home with their basic Thanksgiving food bag, sans the frozen gobbler.

So the situation, says food bank manager Carolyn Shewfelt, is desperate.

Yet, Tuesday afternoon, as swarms of volunteers scurried around the warehouse, she was smiling, happy. Confident, even.

She believes not one family who turned to the food bank for holiday help will be disappointed.

"We live in a great community. Every year they've stepped to the plate," Shewfelt said. "It just kind of happens."

As if proving her right, a community group dropped off 100 turkeys that afternoon.

The distribution continues all week, which is the easy part, really. Thanks to a $60,000 remodel paid for by grants and donations, a long line of people there for basic foods flowed in and out. Meantime, the holiday food distribution went on outside.

Volunteers will give 2,400 hours to the effort this year.

Brad Philpott is in his third season as a food bank volunteer.

"It gets a little frantic and busy, but the volunteer spirit is fabulous," he said.

Folks receiving Thanksgiving food bags - which included the likes of green beans, stuffing, potatoes, mixed fruit, cranberry sauce and gravy - were thankful, he said.

"They're extremely appreciative of what we do," he said.

One woman who left with a turkey said without the food bank, her family wouldn't have a Thanksgiving dinner.

"It's just been a really hard year for us," said the woman, who declined to give her name. "So it's nice to have this much for the kids."

Philpott said many who turn to the food bank can barely afford the gas money to get there. Some won't be able to afford to come back for a turkey - assuming enough are donated to meet the need.

"They kind of map out their day on what they need to do," he said. "If we don't have what they need and we tell them to come back, sometimes, they can't do that."

The food bank is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for donations. It is in the Industrial Park off Atlas Road, 4144 West Industrial Loop.