ESU LAUNCHES PROJECT TURKEY

 Benefitting the Monroe County Salvation Army Holiday Food Drive Efforts

(EAST STROUDSBURG, PA – SEPTEMBER 2015) – In case you haven’t already heard, turkeys are going to be very expensive this holiday season. For a variety of reasons the pricing and availability of turkeys is going up, way up. So much higher that the Monroe County Salvation Army was going to have to seek an alternative or cut back entirely on turkeys in their holiday food baskets. Enter Dr. Linda Van Meter and student Rachel Lees, two very giving and dedicated people from East Stroudsburg University, and Project Turkey was born.

James Gingrich, commanding officer of the East Stroudsburg Citadel, comments, “We start early to source the food we need for distribution between Thanksgiving and Christmas where we provide hundreds of families food baskets to feed themselves over the holidays. Because of cut backs in funding, increased demand from additional families needing our help, and the skyrocketing price of turkeys, we were going to have to reduce the number or eliminate turkeys altogether. Dr. Van Meter and Rachel Lees immediately sprang into action when they heard of our plight.”

Upon hearing the problem Dr. Van Meter went to Rachel Lees who thought, “I could get my sorority sisters and the fraternities to each donate a dollar.” That idea grew into a $7,500 goal to purchase the turkeys needed for the Thanksgiving distribution. They have now organized the Project Turkey fundraiser where they will solicit donations at ESU Football Games; at various events on campus; and various local businesses. They are also setting up a GoFundMe account for the cause.

Dr. Van Meter said, “This is a ‘Greek’ initiative to give back to the community. Their hard work will fund the purchase and, on distribution day, they will be there to help distribute the turkeys to families in need that they helped buy.”

The East Stroudsburg Salvation Army has been providing services in Monroe County for over 100 years. In addition to food distribution, in 2015 The East Stroudsburg Salvation Army will provide grants for rent, utility assistance, medicine and food for more than 18,000 families in desperate need; visit over 2,000 lonely, hurting people in nursing homes and correctional facilities throughout Monroe County ― perhaps the only visits they’ll receive this year; provide more than 60,000 meals to hungry men, women and children in Monroe County; distribute over 16,000 Christmas items; serve over 3000 people through its Disaster Relief Program; and give 250 disadvantaged children the opportunity to experience summer camp.

Gingrich emphasized, “The care and shelter of the needy continues to be an ongoing issue in Monroe County. We are not a given, and financially we have had significant negative economic impacts that have reduced our ability to serve. The continued contributions from our neighbors through fundraisers such as our Harvest Festival, the Kettle Campaign and this special Project Turkey effort, demonstrate how giving and caring our neighbors are to those that are less fortunate.”

For information about how to contribute time, talent or money to the Monroe County Salvation Army call 570-421-3050 or go to EastStroudsburgSalvationArmy.org.    

About The Salvation Army in Monroe County

The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for 130 years in the United States. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. 82 cents of every dollar spent is used to carry out those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to www.salvationarmyeaststroudsburg.org

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Contact: Cari Friend – 570-421-3050 – 9/24/15 - Cari.Friend@USE.SalvationArmy.Org