In December of 2003, Barry Abelson - Waterloo businessman and owner of Abelson Siding & Windows, who was also a Rotarian of our club for 25 years (retired from Rotary in 2000), had an occasion to visit the House of Friendship's emergency food hamper program on Guelph Street in Kitchener. What he saw was amazing, there were a tremendous amount of people from our community who could not afford food. A majority of the food was mostly starches and canned goods. No meat! He decided that he would buy 100 turkeys, which cost him $3,000 and give them to Guelph Street to be given to families of three or more. That would make sure that children would have a healthy dinner on Christmas day just like all their friends. It was an overwhelming success. All the money went for turkeys and went to needy people in our community - what could be better than that?

The following year in November Barry asked the House of Friendship how many turkeys it would take to feed every child in the Waterloo Region at Christmas. They said about 1,000. Barry wrote a letter to twenty-five of his friends requesting funds and in three weeks he had $20,000. That bought 1,000 turkeys!

The same thing happened the following year. The same people responded and they bought 1,200 turkeys.

The fourth year Barry was in the midst of building a retirement home on a lake and asked Jim Erb of the Erb & Good funeral home if he would look after campaigning for turkeys. Jim got some of his friends involved and they raised $34,000 and bought 1,700 turkeys. This time they had enough turkeys to include some in the House of Friendship's "Christmas Hamper Program". This program gives 3-4,000 needy families (10,000 people) food hampers at Christmas time. They also give grocery store vouchers and toys for the kids. About 1,000 turkeys were given to these families.

When that campaign was over Barry and Jim met and decided that they would like to take the Turkey Drive to a new level. They asked the House of Friendship how much it would cost them to supply the 3-4,000 Christmas hampers with a turkey included and they said $90,000 without any administration costs.

Barry and Jim decided to approach the Kitchener-Conestoga Rotary Club (85 members) and asked them if they would help raise the extra money required to support the entire Christmas Hamper Program with Turkeys. The members agreed and all the Rotarian's have written to their friends and business associates.

It is a wonderful feeling to know that a group of local people are helping to feed 10,000 needy people in our community and the kids are getting a turkey dinner at Christmas just like their friends.