If 1,800 four-person families are in need, that's 7,200 mouths to feed.

Turkeys and More intends to provide Thanksgiving dinners for at least 1,800 families in North Idaho this year. At $22 per meal per four-person family, that's a $40,000-minimum shopping list.

With increased food insecurity and turkeys costing more than the budget allows, the nonprofit Turkeys and More is about $4,000 short of the funds needed to ensure those families don't go without.

"We really feel that the need is stronger this year," Turkeys and More coordinator Evalyn Adams said Friday. "The turkeys ended up costing more than we had in the budget. It's going to take more than $40,000 to buy the turkeys."

Before the struggles brought on by the pandemic, more than 1,700 local households were living on bare-bones budgets, as measured by the United Way ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) report of financial hardship. Now, even more people are unable to work and unable to provide a nice holiday meal for their families.

"We just know the need is strong," Adams said, adding that Turkeys and More will work to "get the donations to make sure we’re serving the vulnerable population."

Turkeys and More is partnering with Super 1 Foods to help fill the needs for community members who are struggling. Special donation forms have been placed at check-outs in the five local stores for shoppers to help fight hunger and feed hope.

Adams said instead of boxes filled with the trimmings, Super 1 gift cards will be included so families can purchase their own holiday food.

"We thought that would work out really good," she said.

Turkeys and More's new sponsor is Heart Reach Incorporated, the nonprofit food bank of Heart of the City Church, where the distribution will take place this year.

The Community Action Partnership Coeur d'Alene Food Bank, where it was held last year and several years prior, made a corporate decision to amicably depart from the program as it is a large endeavor that requires a lot of money and work, and this year especially the food bank is already spread thin.

“We were informed last year by the Lewiston office they felt it was too much of a stress on their staff, facility and resources to do the distribution there," Adams said, adding that food bank manager Darrell Rickard "was so good to work with, he's been so good to us."

Rickard said although the food bank won't be partnering with Turkeys and More this year, it will still have turkeys and other holiday foods around Thanksgiving, as generous community members tend to donate those seasonal items.

"This year things are a lot different,” Rickard said, adding that it's bittersweet to part with Turkeys and More but he's glad it found a new sponsor.

"We still have a lot of turkeys that are donated to us," he said. "We’ll still give a lot of turkeys out. Anyone who wants a turkey we’ll probably have a turkey for them."

Turkeys and More is hoping to reach its fundraising goal by the end of the month. Direct fundraising efforts to individuals and companies are being done with no special events this year.

Checks may be made payable to Heart Reach Incorporated and mailed to: Director Myndi Sizemore, Heart of the City Church, 772 W. Kathleen Ave., Coeur d'Alene, ID 83815. Write "Turkeys and More" on the memo line. A written receipt will be promptly returned for tax records.

Contact Adams for info or to volunteer at [email protected] or 208-765-5535.