“We’d been able to offer smaller chickens to everyone, with some turkeys set aside for our larger families, but when we talked to our clients after the holidays, what we heard was that everyone loves turkey,” Deierling said. “Even smaller families and single clients wanted turkeys, so they could have leftovers and make soup out of the carcasses after their big meals.”

Deierling went ahead and bought the turkeys for this Thanksgiving, not knowing where the funding would come from. Fortunately, the Tulalip Tribes kicked in $5,000 for turkeys, in addition to $10,000 they’d already donated to the food bank’s “Food For Thought” weekend meal program for students, plus $26,500 for other food items to last through the holidays.

This came in handy as the food bank began its Thanksgiving meal distribution Nov. 21, serving more than 200 families that Friday. Deierling estimated they would serve a total of 750 through Nov. 25. He also credited Froso’s Greek Restaurant with supplying 300 pounds of margarine, but noted the food bank still has pressing needs, through the holidays and beyond.

“We could use more canned hams, since those are easier for homeless people to manage than turkeys or chickens,” said Deierling, who also requested more canned fruits and vegetables, more cranberry sauce, and more crackers and cereals. “Every year, I forget about getting potatoes, but every year, the students at Marysville-Pilchuck High School have got my back.”

Volunteers remain an equally vital resource. Members of the local Rotary and Kiwanis clubs helped stock the shelves and escort shoppers through the aisles for the Thanksgiving meal distribution, and Deierling is looking to secure sailors from Naval Station Everett for the Christmas meal distribution, from 2-6 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 16, and from 9 a.m. to noon on Friday, Dec. 19, and Monday, Dec. 22. With the food bank serving 5 percent more clients this holiday season, more volunteers, and more food and money donations, are always needed.

“That goes double for our Toy Store,” Deierling said of the program for children 17 years and younger, which is scheduled to run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 17, and Thursday, Dec. 18, in the Red Curtain Arts Center, at 1410 Grove St.

“The donations there are lagging severely, and we expect even more kids this year,” he added, as he recalled that 1,055 children were served by the store last year. “We could especially use more gifts for teens, since those always seem to be in short supply.”

For more information on volunteering, donating to or becoming a client of the food bank’s Christmas meal distribution or Toy Store, log onto http://marysvillefoodbank.org.