INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis tradition of more than 50 years is changing.
The Mozel Sanders Foundation will serve chicken this year instead of turkey. The cost-cutting move will help make sure hungry people in Indianapolis still receive a good meal on Thanksgiving Day.
The traditional Thanksgiving meal is prepared year after year by volunteers who carry on the legacy of feeding the hungry started by the late Rev. Mozel Sanders.
But if this year's turkey tastes like chicken, that's because it is.
"It's not going to be turkey this year for three reasons. Number one, there's some type of bird flu. Number two, the cost of turkeys, and number three, the supply. There's a shortage of turkeys,” said Stephanie Sanders, daughter-in-law of Mozel and chief operating officer of the Mozel Sanders Foundation.
A bird flu outbreak has hampered turkey production. Combined with inflation, the cost of turkey has reached a record high. The Mozel Sanders Foundation decided to switch birds to contain costs. Organizers plan to serve 10,000 meals this Thanksgiving at a cost of $5 a meal. They still need to raise about $35,000 this month to cover costs.
"It's not the turkey, the gobble, you know,” said Sanders. “Now it's the cluck, cluck, cluck. But people are hungry. They want food, and this is good food, and it's free. And you call us, we'll bring it to you, or you could come and pick it up."
The meals are prepared and can be picked up at several satellite kitchens across the city.
Volunteers also deliver meals. People requesting meals are asked to call 317-636-7985 or register online by Nov. 18.
This is not the first time chicken has replaced turkey at the Thanksgiving Day dinner. Sanders said when it happened several years ago without much fanfare, most people didn't even notice.
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