FORT WORTH -- Sylvia Haskins was up well before dawn.
She's on a fixed income, but having a Thanksgiving meal is an important tradition. So she joined a growing line at 3 a.m. outside the Fort Worth Community Food Bank. Haskins is one of more than 4,000 people in need who signed up to receive a free turkey with the fixings to take home for Thanksgiving.
"Oh, it’s a blessing, it’s a blessing to me, yes it is, very much so," said Haskins. "It’s very hard for a lot of us, so we come and rely on these people here, these good people here."
The problem is, the food bank is 1,000 turkeys short. It's expecting 2,000 people to show up Tuesday, but half of them won't get a turkey unless the community steps up to help.
Another 2,000 received a turkey on Monday.
"It’s amazing and sad that the need has not diminished," said Karen Harris, executive food bank coordinator. "You would think that from year to year things would get better for some families, but unfortunately that’s not the truth."
By the time the doors opened at 9 a.m., the line stretched around the block. Hundreds of people in need said it was the only way they could provide a Thanksgiving meal for their families.
"Sometimes it’s not within the budget to go and buy a turkey," said Sharnet Williams, who will make a Thanksgiving meal for her sons and grandson. "They are really expensive, and we want the benefit of having our family over and eat and share those memories, and this allows us to do it."
If you would like to donate a turkey, you can do so at the food bank's location at 3000 Galvez Avenue in Fort Worth. You can also donate money to buy turkeys here.