Pocono News Section

"Turkey Fairy" Helps Make a Christmas Miracle

"Turkey Fairy" Helps Make a Christmas Miracle - Saturday, December 19, 2009 at 11:35PM EST

Reported by: Mark Hiller
Saturday, Dec 19, 2009 @ 11:35pm EST
SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY - A struggling Salvation Army chapter has its prayers answered.

It needed more food donations to help meet a growing demand from needy families in the Scranton area. The community stepped forward and donated to fill any remaining food baskets... and then some.

"Well, um, the turkey fairy showed up," laughed Salvation Army Captain Christin Kapp. She could barely contain her joy.
Her headquarters at South Washington Avenue, Scranton filled up with box after box of frozen turkeys Saturday Afternoon. It's a very different sight from a day earlier.

Capt. Kapp showed Eyewitness News the empty freezers on Griday. She made a public plea for viewers to come up with at least 62 more turkeys to help feed needy families for the holidays.

A man who wished to remain anonymous delivered a pickup truck filled with 70-turkeys on Saturday to fill the remaining holiday food baskets.

"And less than 12-hours later, look at this. I have the turkey fairy showing up. My freezers are full," said Capt. Kapp. "I've got boxes and boxes of turkeys that are about to go out in my trailer."

It's a Christmas miracle that started earlier in the day thanks to nearly 4-dozen turkeys donated by northeastern Pennsylvanians.

Charlene Turco of Exeter and her cousin donated 9 turkeys between them. "I hope whoever gets the turkeys are healthy and it makes their Christmas better and their holiday season... however they decide to celebrate it," said Turco.

Other families who responded to the need feel the same way. "It's a time for giving and a time for, you know, taking care of others and we just wanted to do our part," said George Hotchkiss of Duryea.

Austin Wotanis of Scranton said, "It's the spirit of the season. You help out families that, you know, obviously can't afford to get them just so they can have dinners with their families."

And Capt. Kapp couldn't be happier for the more than 500-families who'll get a feast. "Everybody's going to have a Merry Christmas now."

The Salvation Army reminds everyone that its work doesn't stop at Christmas. It helps families year round to meet utility, fuel and food needs -- and could always use donations.