Every day three trucks make the rounds of Coeur d’Alene, picking up extra or unwanted food from grocery stores and restaurants.

The food is then brought back to the Community Action Partnership Food Bank to be sorted and then given out to community members in need.

Last year, CAP served over 6,000 people.

Now, with Thanksgiving just around the corner, the food bank is struggling to get turkeys and other holiday foods to give out.

“We need about 700 turkeys to make our goal of 1,500,” said CAP food bank manager, Nicol Barnes. “We have about 800 already, but we need a lot more.”

CAP is doing a turkey drive through Super 1 Foods in Hayden and Coeur d’Alene. Barnes hopes to raise about $14,000 to cover the cost of the remaining turkeys they need.

Anytime over the next week, people can choose to add a donation to their bill when they check out at the grocery store. All the money donated will go to the turkey drive.

On Saturday, volunteers from CAP will be outside the Super 1 Foods in Coeur d’Alene looking at receipts. If someone donated to the turkey drive, they will be entered in a drawing to win one of a few prizes including a volleyball set, a grill and themed prize baskets.

The turkey drive ends Saturday, but CAP always accepts donations.

The turkey dinners will be given out the week leading up to Thanksgiving — Nov. 15 through Nov. 18.

Each dinner, intended for a family, will have a whole turkey, a sack of potatoes and some canned goods like cranberry sauce, green beans, gravy mix, stuffing and pumpkin.

Elaine Bartron lives with her two kids in Coeur d’Alene. She goes to CAP once a week to get food for herself and her family.

“When you ain't got no food you need these places,” she said. “It means a lot, I would just be lost without places like this.”

Bartron picked out a few loaves of bread and some crackers to take with her Friday.

“They’re great about having good stuff here; usually this is full,” she said, looking at the many empty shelves throughout the food bank.

Arlene Anderson, a volunteer who has been with CAP for 5 years, said she has been seeing more and more people come through their doors.

“You see all kinds of people from families, people on social security, young adults and the homeless,” she said. “We have a wonderful community and lots of people are in need ... I really think the community will come through [for the turkey drive], and that’s what we’re counting on.”

The Community Action Partnership Food Bank is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, contact the food bank at (208) 770-3018.