Turkey giveaway held in Bronzeville ahead of Thanksgiving: 'It means a lot'

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Free turkeys were given out in Bronzeville as families preparing for the Thanksgiving holiday received a helping hand.

The Kindness Campaign, in partnership with Chicago's Home of Chicken and Waffles, held a food drive Sunday morning to ensure families have all they need to prepare their Thanksgiving meal.

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Fresh food was placed on tables and people picked the ingredients they wanted for their Thanksgiving dinner.

"I'm about to go home and thaw this turkey out, and see what to do," Steve Shannon said.

The food was enough to feed 200 families. It was all made possible through generous donations.

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"I think a lot of people have planned to cut back when things are uncertain," said Christopher Watts with the Kindness Campaign. "You typically do nothing and people are just saving, trying to save money because they don't know how far they're going to have to make dollars last."

That uncertainty is being felt by many SNAP recipients who had their benefits temporarily paused during the longest ever government shutdown.

"It means a lot, what we have been going through the past month due to government shutdown," Jahkira Pipins said. "When I do hear about good pantries, I am up and trying to support my family by getting food."

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Any little bit of help is making a big difference for the families.