Some 667 Manteca-Lathrop-Ripon families struggling financially this holiday season won’t go without a traditional Thanksgiving meal.

Thanks to a $3,800 donation from the Central Valley Association of Realtors’ Manteca Council the Turkeys R Us effort received money from the organization to purchase 317 turkeys. That — coupled with $1,950 left over from last year and $2,250 in individual donations received since Monday — means the 16th annual campaign has enough funds now to purchase 667 turkeys for Thanksgiving.

And with Thanksgiving just 21 days away, Turkeys R Us has less than three weeks to collect turkeys and/or cash to purchase birds to make sure they are delivered in time to the nearly three dozen food closets serving 1,700 struggling households in the three communities.

That is just half of the need. They also are trying to meet the same need for turkeys and hams at Christmas for 1,700 families.

A typical household receiving the turkey meals often have at least one person working. They are on the ropes financially either due to reduced hours, medical expenses, or have lost their jobs. A good number are on limited income either as seniors without adequate financial, resources or are single mothers.

 Assuming turkeys go for a little more than $1.10 a pound if they can secure that good of a deal, they will need at least $37,000 to meet this year’s demand plus provide fixings for holiday dinners.

Sue Teunissen, who helped start Turkeys R Us 16 years ago, noted given the short time frame there is an urgency to make sure no one goes without this Thanksgiving. The turkey count also includes more than 100 birds for the community turkey dinner being staged on Thanksgiving Day by Manteca Rotary.

If you can assist Turkeys R Us, contact Coldwell Banker Crossroads (North and North Main Street in Manteca) at 823-8141. You can also call Lee McNabb at 815-6754, Teunissen at 483-3365, or the Second Harvest Food Bank at 239-2091.

If you have an actual turkey you’d like to donate, you can take it directly to the Second Harvest Food Bank on Industrial Park Drive near the branch post office and indicate it is for Turkeys R Us. The drop-off can be done Monday through Friday before 4:30 p.m.