Local food banks forced to adapt in face of food shortages

As Americans struggle to cope with inflation ahead of the holiday season, with food prices skyrocketing and shortages galore, some local food banks are finding ways to adapt to the issues at hand. 

The Orange County Food Bank, for one, has worked around this year's turkey shortage, opting instead to provide those in need with chickens and other fixings for their Thanksgiving dinners. 

"That's the new strategy for trying to address people's need for some protein in their Thanksgiving meal," said . "We've been getting both whole chickens and chicken quarters. This still makes for an excellent meal for a family."

In the freezer at their Garden Grove warehouse, OCFB still has 20,000 pounds of chicken left to distribute. However, for the food bank's director Mark Lowry, he wants 150,000 more pounds to fulfill people's needs.

300,000 different people benefit from the food bank's operation on a monthly basis, aside from the holiday rush. 

The turkey shortage, which can partially be attributed to a deadly strain of the avian flu that has decimated the turkey supply, has caused prices of the large poultry to skyrocket this year — costing nearly 40 cents per pound more than 2021.

On top of the lack of turkey, volunteers have noticed a shortages of plenty of other items.

People interested in donating food of any sort, especially chicken and turkey, as well as cash donations can visit the food bank's Garden Grove location.