Alvernia

Kutztown volunteers

for turkey Drive

Michael Kusznir of Kutztown, packed Thanksgiving meals for local residents in need during the 27th annual Alvernia University Turkey Drive event held at the Tom and Helen Flynn PLEX.

The event came together with the help of over 40 student volunteers, faculty, and staff to provide 150 Thanksgiving meal bags filled with canned goods, pie crusts, mashed potatoes, and other food items to those in need in the Reading area for the Thanksgiving season.

Helping Harvest also donated a turkey for each meal bag.

In addition, over $3,500 was raised to help fill these bags with essentials, to be donated to the Kennedy House, a local food bank that has partnered with Alvernia for the Turkey Drive since its inception.

The Turkey Drive, founded in 1987, began by just feeding a few local families in need before growing to what it is now.

Polly Mathys, a longtime member of the Alvernia community, former faculty member and founder of the Turkey Drive, even returned this year to help.

The expansion over the years has resulted in many student volunteers, who now consider the Turkey Drive a university tradition that represents the university’s Franciscan core values.