Just before Thanksgiving, St. Mary's Health Care System and its colleagues and volunteers donated 372 frozen turkeys – weighing more than 3.7 tons – to the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia to help families in need this holiday season 

Each year, St. Mary’s gives a free turkey to each colleague and volunteer as a token of appreciation for their dedication and service. During the weeks before Thanksgiving, St. Mary's leaders personally hand out frozen turkeys at St. Mary's Hospital in Athens, St. Mary's Sacred Heart Hospital in Lavonia, and St. Mary's Good Samaritan Hospital in Greensboro, as well as at ancillary facilities in Athens, Bogart and Watkinsville 

St. Mary's makes it easy for colleagues to donate their turkey to those in need, if they wish to do so: they simply don’t pick it up. The Food Bank collects the donated turkeys on the Monday before Thanksgiving in time to distribute them to families in need before the holiday. 

“Every year I’m amazed and moved by the number of colleagues who choose to donate their turkey,” said Beth Patrick, St. Mary’s Chief Human Resources Officer. “We are keenly aware that the number of people who have food insecurities in our community is growing. We’re thrilled that so many colleagues and volunteers love getting these turkeys, and we’re just as thrilled that so many donate them to help others who are in need. It's a true testament to our commitment to our core values.”

"For many years, St. Mary’s has gone above and beyond guiding and serving our region through unprecedented challenges to our public health, which is an incredible feat alone," said Kelly Klein, Food Bank of Northeast Georgia Director of Development. "They have gone the extra mile to provide Turkey’s for hundreds of families this Thanksgiving."

Klein noted that the Food Bank continues to see elevated need across its entire service area. "Increased cost of living is forcing people to make difficult choices between food and other necessities. We are truly thankful to be part of this community where we see so many coming together to support our mission, to connect neighbors with nourishing food." she added.

Each year, the food bank provides more than 11 million pounds of food to families through over 200 partner organizations – including soup kitchens, food pantries, senior centers, churches and other non-profit hunger relief organizations – in 14 counties: Banks, Barrow, Clarke, Franklin, Habersham, Hart, Jackson, Madison, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Rabun, Stephens, Towns and White.

For more information about the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia and the agencies with which it partners, visit www.foodbanknega.org. For more information about St. Mary’s, please visit www.stmarys-health.org.