WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Editor's note: Video features a Dig In 2 It about people seeing food shortages
Wake Forest University students and staff are preparing for an annual holiday tradition that gives back to the community, Turkeypalooza. It starts Sunday through Saturday, November 19.
This student-led event prepares 600 Thanksgiving meals for residents in Forsyth County facing food-insecurity.
13% of Forsyth County residents struggle with food insecurity, while that rate is 20.4% for children, according to Feeding America's most recent Map the Meal Gap report.
The Thanksgiving meals will consist of turkey, roasted vegetable stuffing, green beans, cranberry sauce and sweet potato casserole.
"Everything is scratch made by students, so students are making the food that will be delivered into the community," assistant director of civic engagement, Cazandra Rebollar said. "Faculty and staff volunteers also help bake pumpkin cookies."
Graduate Assistant Ana Huckins said they plan to buy baking supplies and other products and ingredients from local farmers and vendors.
"It's the 16th year for Turkeypalooza and tradition is a big part of it," Huckins said. "It's a time when a lot of groups on campus come together to organize and donate and work together for a common goal of helping alleviate hunger in the community."
The meals will be delivered to local nonprofits in Forsyth County and distributed through organizations including Samaritan Ministries, The Ronald McDonald House, The Shalom Project and Latino Community Services.
"A lot of community partners that we are working with through Campus Kitchen and through Turkeypalooza are serving food insecure clients," Rebollar said." Students are the heart of Turkeypalooza. It's really an event where if we don't have the students there, it can't happen."
Campus Kitchen is one of the University’s premier sustainability initiatives, rescuing and recovering food from local grocery stores and the campus dining halls
Turkeypalooza is Campus Kitchen's largest annual event.