City collects turkeys, fixings for needy

Canyon Lake residents participated in the annual City of Canyon Lake Turkey Drive yesterday at Canyon Lake City Hall.

The event was organized by the city and donations of frozen turkeys and other Thanksgiving food items for local families in need were collected.

This year’s Turkey Drive benefits Helping Hands of Canyon Lake, a non-profit organization that operates a food pantry and provides assistance to low-income residents of Canyon Lake and surrounding areas. Helping Hands volunteers were on site to receive and load the donations into their vehicles.

The city encouraged donors to bring frozen turkeys and any of the traditional Thanksgiving fixings, such as stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, canned vegetables, bread, pies, and more. Donors were also encouraged to make monetary contributions or gift cards to help purchase additional food items.

The Turkey Drive is a way for the Canyon Lake community to show its generosity and compassion during the holiday season. Last year, the event collected over 100 turkeys and several boxes of food, which were distributed to more than 200 families by H.O.P.E. (Helping Our People In Elsinore), another local non-profit organization that alternates with Helping Hands as the recipient of the Turkey Drive.

The city thanks all the donors and volunteers who made the Turkey Drive possible.