Thanksgiving during tough times

Ward Bruning washes off a freshly killed Thanksgiving turkey on his farm in Akron, N.Y. on Nov. 22, 2011.

Jackie Galinis prepares corn muffins as part of her Thanksgiving meal at her home in Pawtucket, R.I., on Nov. 22, 2011. Galanis, 30 years old, plans to cook for friends and relatives with whatever she has in the freezer, as she is unemployed and doesn't have the money to buy a frozen turkey.

Jackie Galinis stares into her refrigerator and freezer — AP

Jackie Galinis looks in her refrigerator and freezer to figure out what she can make for a Thanksgiving meal at her home in Pawtucket, R.I., Nov. 22, 2011.

Jackie Galinis looks through a cookbook to get ideas for a Thanksgiving meal as she prepares the dinner at her home in Pawtucket, R.I. on Nov. 22, 2011. Galanis, 30 years old, plans to cook for friends and relatives with whatever she has in the freezer, as she is unemployed and doesn't have the money to buy a frozen turkey.

Volunteers fill bags with food for part of their backpack school lunch program at the Cleveland Foodbank in Cleveland on Nov. 22, 2011. The Foodbank provides take home lunches for school children on the days they do not have classes, and with the four-day holiday from school surrounding Thanksgiving, many more of the meals are needed.

A clerk bags a turkey for a customer at Pixley's Shurfine grocery store in Akron, N.Y. on Nov. 22, 2011.

Turkeys are shown on sale at Pixley's Shurfine grocery store in Akron, N.Y. on Nov. 22, 2011.

Dennis Sheehan, meat manager, stocks turkeys at Pixley's Shurfine grocery store in Akron, N.Y. Nov. 22, 2011.

Volunteers Dorothy Albertie (Center) and Marta Gutierrez (Right) sort donated food before packing it into boxes for those in need, at the Pass It On Ministries on Nov. 22, 2011, in Miami. Pass It On is a non-profit social service agency staffed solely by volunteers, and provides basic nutritional food supplies to people facing emergencies. On this, the fourth Thanksgiving since the economy sank, prices for everything from airline flights to groceries are going up, and some Americans are scaling back.

Volunteer Marta Gutierrez packs a box of food for a family of two at the Pass It On Ministries on Nov. 22, 2011, in Miami. Pass It On is a non-profit social service agency staffed solely by volunteers, and provides basic nutritional food supplies to people facing emergencies. On this, the fourth Thanksgiving since the economy sank, prices for everything from airline flights to groceries are going up, and some Americans are scaling back.

Dennis Sheehan, meat manager, pushes a shopping cart full of turkeys for stocking at Pixley's Shurfine grocery store in Akron, N.Y. on Nov. 22, 2011.

People attend the annual "I Cared Enough" Thanksgiving event organized by Daniel Cason Ministries on Nov. 22, 2011, in Birmingham, Ala. Free groceries, clothes, haircuts, and health screening and a worship service before the Thanksgiving lunch were provided.

Volunteers from Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church sort free bags of food for senior citizens during the annual "I Cared Enough" Thanksgiving event organized by Daniel Cason Ministries, on Nov. 22, 2011, in Birmingham, Ala. Free groceries, clothes, haircuts, and health screening and a worship service before the Thanksgiving lunches were provided.

Volunteer Hank Fillingim talks with Sherry Moore, center, and Michelle Campbell and her 10-month-old grandson Anthony Hall, as they wait for lunch during the annual "I Cared Enough" Thanksgiving event organized by Daniel Cason Ministries on Nov. 22, 2011, in Birmingham, Ala. Free groceries, clothes, haircuts, and health screening and a worship service before the Thanksgiving lunches were provided.

Volunteers stand near a dessert table during the annual "I Cared Enough" Thanksgiving event organized by Daniel Cason Ministries on Nov. 22, 2011, in Birmingham, Ala. Free groceries, clothes, haircuts, and health screening and a worship service before the Thanksgiving lunches were provided.

People attend the annual "I Cared Enough" Thanksgiving event organized by Daniel Cason Ministries organized on Nov. 22, 2011, in Birmingham, Ala. Free groceries, clothes, haircuts, and health screening and a worship service before the Thanksgiving lunch were provided.

Volunteer Ja'Net Kennedy, 12, serves people salads during the Thanksgiving lunch annual event organized by the Daniel Cason Ministries in Birmingham, Ala. on Nov. 22, 2011. Free groceries, clothes, haircuts, and health screening and a worship service before the Thanksgiving lunch were provided.

Member of the Cleveland Browns, from left, tight end Jordan Cameron (84), guard John Greco (77), defensive end Brian Schaefering (91), offensive tackle Steve Vallos (60), and tight end Evan Moore (89) help load vehicles with boxes of frozen turkeys for Thanksgiving meals at the Cleveland Foodbank in Cleveland on Nov. 22, 2011. The meals are headed to local shelters, food pantries, and hot meal sites supported by the Cleveland Foodbank.

People wait in line to receive Thanksgiving basket giveaways on Nov. 21, 2011, at the Thurston County Food Bank in downtown Olympia, Wash. Food bank director Robert Coit said he opened about 90 minutes earlier this year, with a large line of customers already in place.

Delores Clyde, a Yelm Food Bank volunteer, helps prepare Thanksgiving basket giveaways on Nov. 21, 2011, at the Thurston County Food Bank in downtown Olympia, Wash. Food bank director Robert Coit said he opened about 90 minutes earlier this year, with a large line of customers already in place.

AP Photo/Nacogdoches Daily Sentinel, Andrew D. Brosig

Volunteers Tony Weatherford (LEFT) and David Darby pick meat from a turkey on Nov. 21, 2011, at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church campus in Nacogdoches, Texas. Volunteers spent most of the day Monday in preparation for the parish's community Thanksgiving dinner.

From left, Erica Schandl, 14, along with fourteen year-old Haley Simmonds, also 14, tackle the weighty issue with a large box of canned goods as they joined over 500 other volunteers to help out Nov. 20, 2011 at the Thurston County Food Bank in Olympia, Wash. to prepare for the organization's annual Thanksgiving food basket distribution on Nov. 21st.

AP Photo, Abilene Reporter-News/Nellie Doneva

Volunteers unload clothes, shoes and other donated items from a car during the annual Mission: Thanksgiving drive at Arrow Ford, to benefit Love and Care Ministries on Nov. 18, 2011, in Abilene, Texas.

Todd Yates,AP Photo/Corpus Christi Caller-Times

Members of the Thomas J. Henry Law firm in Corpus Christi, Texas, Ruben Herrera (Left) Victor Howard (Center) and Erica Gutierrez help unload an eighteen-wheel full of Thanksgiving turkeys on Nov. 18, 2011 as they and other employee give the turkeys out to 95 churches and non-profit during the law firm's annual Thomas J. Henry Turkey Giveaway. The firm will give out 5,000 turkeys to the public on Nov 19, 2011.

AP Photo/The Commercial Appeal, Alan Spearman

From left, Mary Gillihan, Ritche Bowden and Edward Green work to debone turkeys on Nov. 18, 2011, at the Union Rescue Mission in Memphis, Tenn. in preparation for Thanksgiving. Corkey's Berbecue smoked the turkeys for the holiday meal.

Mary Burrell (Left) and Karissa Hudik box food during Ole Miss' Adopt A Basket Food Drive in Oxford, Miss. on Nov. 17, 2011. Adopt A Basket is an annual effort to provide food items and gift cards to families at Thanksgiving. 476 boxes were filled this year.