Mecklenburg County will distribute 1,000 turkeys to local families as part of a holiday event on Saturday, Nov. 22. The drive-thru giveaway, called the Saturdays on Stitt Turkey Giveaway, will be held at the Ella B. Scarborough Community Resource Center in Charlotte.
The county is working with Nourish Up and Food Lion to provide turkeys and other food items for Thanksgiving meals. Mecklenburg County Manager Mike Bryant said, “The need for food and nutrition assistance in Mecklenburg County is still pressing. With the turkey distribution event, we are providing some of our vulnerable residents an opportunity to have a meaningful traditional meal as we head into the holiday season.”
Those interested in receiving a turkey must register for a specific time slot. Priority will go to individuals and families who receive SNAP benefits; eligibility will be checked before the event. Others who register but do not participate in SNAP will be placed on a waitlist and notified if there are extra turkeys available.
This initiative comes after county leaders announced $740,000 in approved funding for fiscal year 2026 aimed at supporting food and nutrition assistance programs following disruptions caused by the federal government shutdown.
Mecklenburg County schools had an enrollment of 153,537 students during the 2022-23 school year, which was a slight decrease from the previous year according to data from North Carolina’s Department of Public Instruction (https://www.dpi.nc.gov/).
