Are you planning a family and/or friends gathering for a Thanksgiving get-together this year? Are you planning on having the traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings? Are you aware that there are thousands of families in Southwest Florida who won’t have that opportunity because they can’t afford to purchase the turkey and trimmings.

The Harry Chapin Food Bank needs to supply 9,000 turkeys to its participating agencies for distribution to families. The food bank would like to find partners to assist by planning a drive to collect turkeys or cash so the food bank can purchase the turkeys to provide to children, seniors, and their families.

If you can help, call Marta Hodson at the food bank, 334-7007, ext. 132, or martahodson@harrychapinfoodbank.org and let her know you’ll assist with a “Turkey Drive.” Funds and turkeys need to be received by Nov. 20.

The Harry Chapin Food Bank solicits, collects and stores quality food for distribution to families in need through a network of 186 local nonprofit agencies in Lee, Collier, Hendry, Charlotte and Glades counties, which provides food to more than 30,000 people monthly. More than one million pounds of food are distributed monthly, Harry Chapin officials said. For every dollar donated, about $6 in food value goes back to the community.

In the past fiscal year, The Harry Chapin Food Bank distributed 12.5 million pounds of food and other grocery products; this was a 31 percent increase over the previous year, officials said.

Additional information about or to contribute financially to the Harry Chapin Food Bank, call 239-334-7007 or go to harrychapinfoodbank.org on the Internet.