Amador County – Interfaith Food Bank Director Kathleen Harmon has pledged to spend today hosting a turkey drive for Amador County’s less fortunate. She plans to be at the Food Bank all day today to accept donations of turkeys to meet a deficit. The charity is struggling to get Thanksgiving dinners together in a season when needy families have nearly doubled over last year. Harmon said last year they had 500 applications for Thanksgiving dinners. This year the received 940 applications and two weeks ago were still 400 birds short of fulfilling those wishes. The number narrowed to about 300 by last Friday. She said they “don’t want anybody to not have a turkey on their table.” The Turkey Drive will start with Harmon’s appearance at 7 a.m. today on AM Live here on TSPN, then continue throughout the day at the Interfaith Food Bank at 12181 Airport Road on Sutter Hill. Harmon showed a filling warehouse Friday, with donations pouring in and 100 turkeys in cold storage, but all spoken for. They were being held for a local church. The economic downturn has sent people to the food bank who have never had to go there before. Harmon said “what has happened overwhelmingly across the country is that the demand is up and the donations are down.” She said the federal emergency food program normally gives out 15 to 20 items a month in Amador County. This month, it gave out 5 items. She said “As everybody gets that flurry and that fear, jobs start to go away.” Post-Christmas layoffs make January and February the Food Bank’s busiest months. She said the Food Bank is run by a staff of volunteers of all ages, including her parents and many others. And she had faith, saying “when you say something to this community, it gets the word out.” Donate a turkey at the Food Bank,, 12181 Airport Road, Sutter Hill. For information, call (209) 267-9006. Story by Jim Reece (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).