St. Mary’s Food Bank Hopes to Raising Thousand Turkeys for Phoenix Families in Need St. Mary’s Food Bank in Phoenix is seeking generous Arizona residents to donate a turkey to families who can’t afford the Thanksgiving holiday. “Your family has the chance to help a family in need.” PHOENIX – Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends, and lots of food, but for many Arizonans, a turkey meal is a luxury they cannot afford. That’s why St. Mary’s Food Bank in Phoenix is in a hurry to get as many turkeys as possible before the holidays. Turkeys have been in short supply since November 20th and time is running out fast. Churches across the country are facing a turkey shortage this Christmas season. This can be a problem for food banks when they rely on donations to help families in need. St. Mary’s Food Bank’s target is 12,000 turkeys, and until recently it was nine thousand. Flash forward to November 20th and their “Super Saturday” event, with locations across the valley, they have thousands more, but less than a week before Thanksgiving, it’s still about 2,200. “Things have gone up. Gas, food, rent everything. Lots of people on the fringes are coming to St. Mary’s Food Bank this year and your family has a chance to help a family in need,” said Jerry Brown of St Mary’s Food Bank. You are still accepting donations until November 24th. “When you have had a great year and know your family is well taken care of and you have it in your heart to help another family, you still have time to make sure these 12,000-15,000 families each become Thanksgiving.” Go home with a turkey, “Brown said. The Tafel is closed on November 21st, but closed on November 22nd-24th. Open November. More information can be found here. Turkey Prep, Health Tips The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approves of vaccinated people gathering for Thanksgiving this year, but they have a warning to those preparing the turkey: wash it not. It’s the same warning federal food safety experts have issued every year since 2005. Washing raw meat increases the risk of cross contamination and could lead to food poisoning such as salmonella and campylobacter. Such bacteria can be eliminated by cooking thoroughly. To make sure a turkey is adequately cooked, a thermometer can be used to check that the deepest and thickest parts have reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit. For additional turkey storage and use, you can safely do so, but only for a few days. The USDA says cooked leftovers should be quickly stored in shallow containers and placed in a refrigerator or freezer for quick cooling. Consumers should only eat chilled leftovers for three to four days. After that, they recommend throwing it away. “A general rule of thumb for storing cooked leftovers in the refrigerator is 4 days; raw poultry and ground beef 1 to 2 days,” said the USDA. Food that is refrigerated for too long risks the growth of spoilage bacteria. You are unlikely to get severely ill, but say you might get sick. Related Stories: Tune on FOX 10 Phoenix for the latest news:
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