For those who can afford to do so, this year is a great one for donating food items for Thanksgiving.

Most likely, there are many people in the county suffering due to the coronavirus pandemic — both financially and otherwise — but local community organizations are reporting a shortage in various supplies, including turkey, this holiday season.

While it likely could be just as difficult for county residents to get their hands on a turkey, there are a number of other donated items that organizations are seeking.

In the Eagle last weekend, groups such as the Salvation Army, Lighthouse Foundation, St. Wendelin Catholic School and All Saints Parish of Butler — all of which typically hold traditional Thanksgiving meals — said they all could be affected the national turkey shortage.

Meanwhile, county businesses that sell turkey noted that the price for the birds is expected to rise as a result of corn — which is what turkeys are fed — doubling in price this year.

Most of the organizations said it was too early to tell whether they’d have enough turkeys to meet the number of requests from county residents for the birds.

The organizations are all accepting donations of turkey and other Thanksgiving-related items. For example, the Lighthouse Foundation’s list of needs includes canned pumpkin and pineapple, broth, yams, cake and brownie mix, instant mashed and scalloped potatoes, macaroni and cheese, pie crust and filling, cranberry sauce, and stuffing.

During any given year, food donations during the holidays are always needed, but with COVID-19 — and its societal aftershocks — still lingering, this year is one in which donations can go a long way.

We hope that the various county organizations seeking donations are able to obtain the products they need to help families have a nice Thanksgiving meal, and we ask any county residents who can afford to do so to get in touch with the aforementioned groups.

Butler County is always generous with those in need, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see that generosity extended even during a difficult time such as this one.

— NCD