Mom Exceeds Goal of 200 Thanksgiving Turkeys for Families in Need

Debbie Kurzweil had an idea, and now at least 200 client families at the Community Assistance Center that are enduring tough times will receive a turkey for Thanksgiving Dinner.

The Kurzweil Family recently decided to start a fundraising drive for 200 turkeys and they have exceeded their goal according to the CAC. The turkeys will be distributed from the center on Monday. The CAC serves families in Dunwoody and Sandy Springs. 

Extra funds for the drive will be donated to the CAC food pantry and used in the future to purchase food from the Atlanta Community Food Bank when donations for the pantry run low, said CAC communications director Kristin Ristino.

Last week, Kurzweil told Patch that she had received enthusiastic responses from the public on the fundraising drive.

"People love it because we are helping people in the community who are going through financially bad times, or lost their jobs,” she said.

Kurzweil said the family received donations ranging from $1 from a child to $500 donations from adults. 

In a separate act of giving back to the community, Bob and Carrie Shumard of Dunwoody and the Shumard Family Foundation are donating food and gathering volunteers to pack 500 boxes of non-perishable holiday food on Sunday. The boxes will be distributed to CAC clients, according to Ristino.

Half of the boxes will be distributed on Monday, the other half in December for Christmas.