Nov. 10 marked Gunnison County’s inaugural Take a Turkey to Work Day, and local businesses stepped up to help neighbors experiencing food insecurity obtain the ingredients needed to prepare a holiday meal.
The Gunnison Country Chamber of Commerce partnered with The Gunnison Country Food Pantry to secure 120 proteins for the Pantry’s annual Thanksgiving shopping days as part of their No-Cost Groceries program.
“When we realized we would have a significant gap in the number of turkeys, chickens or hams that traditionally serve as the centerpiece of holiday meals,” explained Executive Director of the Gunnison Country Food Bank, Jodi Payne, “we reached out to the Gunnison County Chamber of Commerce with the hope of implementing a community giving event that has been successful in other Southern Colorado communities: Take a Turkey to Work Day.”
The model is simple: businesses bring frozen meats to work and organizers collect them in one morning. The approach provides an easy high-impact way for workplaces to give back and helps the Pantry avoid reallocating resources or straining budgets for year-round programs.
Leora Wallace, executive director of the Gunnison Country Chamber of Commerce did not hesitate to join the collaboration. She explained that this type of endeavor fits perfectly with the Chamber’s core values of “connection, support, stewardship, hospitality and a commitment to embracing new ideas and partnerships.”
Wallace stated, “I knew instantly that this would be super fun and a great opportunity for our members to do something meaningful and impactful for the community. My goal was to coordinate the event in a manner that made it simple for our business owners to participate. We told everyone what we needed, the date by which we needed it and coordinated when we would collect the donations.”
Wallace added that the Pantry “made multiple trips, had staff available to help unload and provided the van we used for pickups. We couldn’t have done it without their teamwork.”
Gunnison businesses gobbled up the opportunity and 20 businesses, non-profits and government offices stepped up to fill the gap. The Take a Turkey to Work Day initiative collected 114 combined turkeys, chickens and hams, with one individual donor closing the final gap. Over 200 meals were distributed to no-cost shoppers before the Thanksgiving shopping days concluded.
Reflecting on the program, Payne stated, “We did not know what to expect. What we received was very inspiring.” She elaborated, “It’s been a stressful couple of months and it’s been inspiring and motivating to the folks at the Pantry to know our community isn’t letting anyone go hungry. There was something that touched us at every location–from silly turkey hats to costumes to the sheer outpouring of food and support. All of us at the Pantry are entering the final weeks of 2025 energized knowing that our community cares about their community.”
Payne also expressed deep gratitude for the Chamber’s role, noting that the collaboration “opened doors to a whole new network of business and donors we normally wouldn’t reach. Their outreach truly expanded our ability to serve.”
Wallace shared that participating donors felt similarly energized. “Everyone, including community members, was happy to be involved and found it heartwarming to see business and non-profits come together to fill a need.”
“Personally,” Wallace continued, “I found this to be a really awesome and rewarding opportunity to have a direct impact in a very straightforward way.”
Both agencies called the effort a success and are already looking forward to the 2026 Take a Turkey to Work Day. Details will be shared next fall via the groups’ social media channels, newsletters and the newspaper.
Although the dedicated Thanksgiving No-Cost Shopping Days concluded on Nov. 26, the Food Pantry stresses that food insecurity continues year-round. They remain open for no-cost shopping and continue to accept both monetary and food donations. Additional information about the Pantry’s programs, specific needs and volunteer opportunities can be found on their website, www.gunnisoncountryfoodpantry.org.
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