how to do a turkey drive

How to Do a Turkey Drive in 2023
A turkey drive is a great way to help provide holiday meals to those in need. By organizing a turkey drive, you can collect donated turkeys and distribute them to local food banks, shelters, and families before Thanksgiving and Christmas. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to host a successful turkey drive:

Plan Ahead

• Start planning your turkey drive at least 2 months in advance. This will give you plenty of time to promote the event, find donation locations, recruit volunteers, and coordinate with local charities.

• Decide on the date(s) time(s) and location(s) for your turkey drive. Having it on multiple days at various spots around your community will make it more convenient for people to donate.

• Set a goal for how many turkeys you want to collect. This will help with logistics like finding enough storage space and vehicles for transporting the turkeys. Aim for at least 100 turkeys.

Promote the Turkey Drive

• Create flyers, posters, and signage to spread the word about your turkey drive. Distribute these at local businesses, churches, schools, etc.

• Post on social media frequently leading up to the event. Share updates on donation locations, volunteer opportunities, and sponsorship options.

• Contact local media outlets like newspapers and radio stations to see if they will share info about the turkey drive. This can really help boost awareness.

• Ask sponsors to help fund the purchase of extra turkeys if your donations fall short of the goal. Grocery stores and poultry farms are good options.

Find Donation Sites

• Reach out to grocery stores, churches, schools, fire stations, banks, etc. to see if they will host a turkey donation bin.

• Provide each site with signage, donation bins, and flyers to promote the drive. Be sure to collect contact info for picking up donations.

• For individual/family donations, consider designating a central drop-off location like a school parking lot on the day of the event.

Recruit and Organize Volunteers

• Enlist volunteers to help collect, sort, and distribute the donated turkeys. Friends, family members, church groups, and youth organizations often volunteer.

• Define roles for volunteers like donation collectors, drivers, sorters, distributors, etc. Provide training as needed.

• Create schedules for volunteers to sign up for shifts. You’ll need more people on donation days and fewer when distributing turkeys.

Coordinate Turkey Distribution

• Partner with local food banks, shelters, charities, schools, and churches to identify families in need of turkey donations.

• Arrange timed pick-ups and drop-offs of turkey donations with your distribution partners.

• Sort turkeys by size and organize them into boxes for easy distribution. Keep refrigerated turkeys cold.

• Deliver turkeys in insulated, refrigerated trucks and vans if possible. Regular vehicles will also work for short trips.

• Provide distribution partners with turkey donation receipts showing the total number and value for their records.

With proper planning and promotion, your turkey drive can help hundreds of families enjoy a holiday meal they otherwise couldn’t afford. Just be sure to start organizing early and recruit plenty of volunteers. Follow this guide, and your turkey drive is sure to be a huge success!