Sacred Heart Community Service seeks donations for Thanksgiving

SAN JOSE (KGO) -- Families in the South Bay are receiving an early holiday gift. A non-profit officially started distributing Thanksgiving food boxes, but Sacred Heart Community Service is also sending an urgent plea for your help.

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There are 4,200 people who will be getting a box of food and hopefully, a turkey over the next three days leading up to Thanksgiving. That's a few hundred more people signed up compared to last year. The main reason the need is increasing is because rent in Silicon Valley has been increasing a lot.

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"People are having a hard time meeting their daily food allotment or let alone having any type of celebration. So this gives people a little breathing room," said Morgan Wordes, Sacred Heart Community Service.

There's not a lot of room in the wait list line that goes around the corner and down the street. The people are on top of the 4,200 others who have appointments. They didn't sign up for the food box distribution but are hoping to get a box and turkey of their own.

"You know the holiday season it's a lot tighter, money is a lot tighter. Everything is a lot more expensive now than four years ago. It seems like everything has gone up gradually over time. It seems like I'm just trying to make ends meet," said Katharine Candalaria, San Jose resident.

Turkeys are still needed; Sacred Heart started the day about 1,700 short of their goal. But the call for help went out and it was answered by many including Saint Victor Elementary School.

"Today we not only collected turkeys, but also funds from parishioners and families at the school. And it's nice it's a good way that we can give back to the community," said Olivia Navarro, St. Victor School.

Please go to Sacred Heart's website to make a donation.

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