As families across Bulloch County and surrounding areas continue to face uncertainty from the SNAP crisis, the Food Bank is preparing to ensure as many people as possible enjoy Thanksgiving dinner through its third annual GiveThanks Turkey Drive.

In 2025, due to the government shut down and unprecedented disruption of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, the traditional holiday meal is in jeopardy for many families in the area. 

The Food Bank's GiveThanks Turkey Drive aims to prevent as many local families as possible from missing a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. 

"Our goal is to provide a Thanksgiving meal for 450 families this year," said Sheila Stewart-Leach, executive director of the Food Bank. "With so many local families affected by SNAP delays and reductions, the need is greater than usual this holiday season." 

According to a release from the Food Bank, the cost of providing a Thanksgiving meal box as part of the Turkey Drive is $40. Donations may be mailed to or dropped off at 506 Miller St., Statesboro, GA 30458. Also, donors may text TURKEYS25 to 53-555 and follow the prompts. 

Since it was announced in late October that SNAP benefits would be disrupted, Stewart-Leach said she has been thankful for the community's generosity in helping their neighbors. 

"We have provided weekly meal boxes to more than 1,800 families in the past two weeks; many of those families are new to us," she said. "Fortunately, we have received donations, large and small, from new donors. Those donations allowed us to serve those new families."

According to statistics from the Food Bank, 6,158 of Bulloch County's 32,074 households — 19.2% — receive SNAP. 

"Our Thanksgiving Meal Boxes provide a turkey and all the fixings for the traditional holiday meal," Stewart-Leach said. "They are an additional meal box provided the week of Thanksgiving."

According to the release, four organizations have stepped up to assist with the costs of the Thanksgiving boxes. An anonymous organization has provided funding for some of the turkeys, and three Metter-based organizations are holding Thanksgiving food drives — Pleasantview Nursing Center, Optim Health and Beacon Health. 

"These organizations approached us at the beginning of October about Thanksgiving meals," Stewart-Leach said. "Thanks to their generosity and forethought, we should be able to provide more than twice as many meals as we did last year — which is a good thing, as our weekly numbers have doubled since the SNAP disruption."