Montecito churches bring in over 1000 turkeys and more for those in need

MONTECITO, Calif. - The annual turkey drive had a united response from four Montecito churches Sunday.

The combined total of donations and cash sent just over 1000 frozen turkeys to the Catholic Charities food distribution center and the Food Bank of Santa Barbara County.

Martin Bell set up the receiving center at Our Lady of Mount Carmel church Sunday morning to assist those driving in with their turkeys. Trucks were ready to transport the donations when the drive ended. The timing is coordinated to allow for distribution in the next few days for families who would not otherwise have a turkey dinner.

Along with the traditional turkeys, donations also included frozen chickens and some ducks.

One of the largest turkeys in the bin was nearly 25 pounds.

Church leaders from El Montecito Presbyterian Church, Montecito Covenant Church, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church, and All Saints-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church also known as the M4 churches made announcements at their services for several weeks leading up to the drive.   
During the year they coordinate on other community-wide efforts for families and especially children's needs from Carpinteria to Santa Barbara.