Rescue Mission Is Seeking Every Tom, Tom or Tom

The Orange County Rescue Mission has fretted in years past about whether it would have enough turkeys for “Project Drumstick,” its annual Thanksgiving meal program for the needy. But the situation this year is the worst since the program started in the 1960s, organizers said Tuesday.

“We were short about 200 turkeys last year in the weeks before Thanksgiving,” said Jim Palmer, executive director of the organization. But last-minute donations saved the day. This year, though, “we need 800 turkeys at this point. This is the biggest shortage we’ve ever had.”

What happens if the mission doesn’t get the needed supplies?

“Good question,” Palmer said. “The mission has always had everything provided, and the numbers have somehow always worked out. I’m very worried this year.”

Palmer said the mission hopes to deliver about 1,100 food boxes to families on Thanksgiving Day. Each gift will include nonperishable products and a turkey.

The mission also expects at least 3,000 people to drop by its Santa Ana headquarters for a hot meal of turkey, dressing, vegetables and dessert on Thanksgiving. For the two projects, Palmer said, the mission needs 1,300 turkeys.

“Even if the mission tried to buy the turkeys, it is difficult to buy them in mass quantities at grocery stores because many stores limit people to one or two turkeys,” Palmer said. “We hope the community will pitch in for us again this year.”

Though Orange County’s economy has recovered from the recession of the early 1990s, he said, “we have so many people in our community who are classified as the working poor.”

Those people have a place to live, he said, but they have little left over for groceries. They are the ones who turn to the mission for help.

“We’re trying to assist families with their emergency needs and with education training and job placement so that they can get off of welfare permanently. It doesn’t happen overnight, though,” he said.

The mission realized a few months ago that the demand for Thanksgiving meals would skyrocket this year, based on increased requests from people for clothes, blankets and medical assistance.

“It’s an incredible increase,” Palmer said. “There are so many people in the community who are going through hard times.”

In terms of turkeys, the expected 1,300 given away this year is almost double the 700 last year.

Even though he worries about having enough turkeys to feed everyone this year, Palmer said he has faith in the human spirit.

“People like to fulfill needs that are real,” he said. “Our need is very real. I think the community will come through for us. We’re counting on it.”

Palmer said that with the number of people it is serving, the mission may try and get the word out earlier next year about its need for help, especially during the holidays. “But to be honest, people don’t really want to hear about Thanksgiving in August.”

Thanksgiving dinner will be served from 9:30 a.m. through the day on Thursday, Nov. 27.

Information: (714) 258-4460

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Project Drumstick

The Orange County Rescue Mission is accepting donations for its annual meal program for the needy. Here’s how you can help:

* Make donations earmarked for Project Drumstick.

* Buy frozen turkeys and deliver them to the mission.

* Volunteer to help with preparations for the Thanksgiving Day meal or to prepare food boxes to be delivered to families.