DENVER (CBS4) – The Denver Rescue Mission anticipates it’ll need about 10,000 turkeys by Thanksgiving, which is just over a week away. Right now there are less than 1,000 in the freezers.

The mission will give away about 1,200 food boxes to families, which will include turkeys. It will also serve about 500 turkeys at its downtown shelter.

The mission also distributes turkeys to other charitable agencies that help people, such as churches. They already have requests for about 10,000 turkeys.

Last year the mission distributed and served a record 18,000 turkeys.

“Over the years, and especially with the economy, the need has increased,” Alexxa Gagner with the Denver Rescue Mission said. “Our goal in the last couple of years was only 6,000 turkeys because that’s what we needed to serve everybody; and now the need has increased.”

The mission’s banquet or Thanksgiving dinner is on Nov. 23, which is the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.

The mission will also serve about 500 meals at its other facility called The Crossing, which helps people through rough transitions in their lives.

LINK: Denver Rescue Mission