COEUR D'ALENE -- As Thanksgiving approaches in this tough economy, the demand on local food banks has been overwhelming. In North Idaho, volunteers are scrambling to provide holiday dinners to the area's less fortunate.
The Coeur d'Alene Food Bank has seen nearly twice as many people come in looking for help. There was a waiting list of 400 families, hoping to have a turkey this Thanksgiving. Now they will.
The Coeur d'Alene Casino stepped in Monday and donated 300 turkeys to help those in need. It's a donation that came just in time. In the last month, the food bank has handed out 88,000 pounds of food. That's 16,000 more than this time last year. Every year, the food bank gives out baskets with all the essentials for a Thanksgiving meal.
The donation from the Coeur d'Alene Casino should fulfill the needs of the food bank. They will be handed out Tuesday.
