Thanksgiving Turkey Sculpture.

Recognizing that so many Appalachian families are unable to celebrate Thanksgiving with a “traditional” dinner, in 1996 the Douglas’s built a 6ft tall turkey head and tail to creatively collect canned foods.  Grandma’s Gifts then asked people from the community to help “build” the turkey’s body by stacking donated canned food on bales of hay.  All the donated food items become the turkey and the goal is to see how many pounds of turkey the community can “grow”.  When the collection is complete, the food is boxed and the boxes are delivered to needy families, food pantries, and battered women’s shelters so that others less fortunate may enjoy a family holiday at Thanksgiving.

---

---

Emily Douglas, 2008,
L'Oreal Woman of Worth

L'Oreal Woman of Worth - L'Oreal Cosmetics: Recognizes, celebrates and supports women who are leaders in life, service, and their professional life. The video to the right was created by L'Oreal for the award program. The video crew went with us to collect cans for the Thanksgiving Turkey Sculpture Project. It was a very cold day, but many donors warmed our hearts!