Rotary Club, SCV Food Pantry distribute free turkey dinners to families in need

The Rotary Club of Santa Clarita partnered up with the SCV

Food Pantry on Tuesday for their annual turkey donation, which aims to help give families in

need a Thanksgiving dinner.

Approximately 250 turkeys were donated, along with approximately 100 chickens for families that might otherwise be able to have a large turkey to share with their family, said Patrick Kenney, president of the Rotary Club.

“My personal purpose of doing this is mainly the love to just give back to the people in the community, and we really try to make this grow every year and it is growing,” said Glenn Terry, incoming president of the Rotary Club. “So we’d like to contribute to the Food Pantry and it’s obviously a great turnout — we have a pretty large crowd today.”

The dinners also included stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes and canned vegetables.

Student volunteers from the Drug Free Youth in SCV and the Interactive Club from Saugus High School came to help distribute the dinners to 300 families waiting outside.

Jessica Vigneri, of Santa Clarita, was able to pick up a complete turkey dinner with all sides and helped out two of her neighbors by picking up their turkeys when she received hers at the Food Pantry.

“The Food Pantry really went out of their way, they helped out a lot of people,” said Vigneri. “It’s amazing; people can have a whole meal. It’s helping for the holidays.”

For volunteer opportunities and more information on the SCV Food Pantry, visit their website at scvfoodpantry.org.

Gilbert Bernal/The Signal Student volunteers with DFY in SCV and The Interact Club at Saugus High School help the Rotary Club and the SCV Food Pantry hand out free turkey dinners for families in need Tuesday.

Gilbert Bernal/The Signal Volunteers hand out free turkey dinners in front of the SCV Food Pantry on Railroad Avenue. The annual donations are gathered by local Rotary Clubs to give to families in need for the holidays.