Enlarge By Scott Nathan, The (Salisbury, Md.) Daily Times Each Thanksgiving, Marissa Filderman "adopts" turkeys, removing them from factory farms and placing them in a shelter. DEWEY BEACH, Del.  For the past five years, Marissa Filderman has adopted a turkey for Thanksgiving. But she has never been interested in raising the feathered fellow. The 24-year-old vegetarian is focused on saving that turkey from its inevitable holiday fate. So each year, she adopts a fowl from Farm Sanctuary, an organization that rescues abused farm animals and works to stop and expose cruel farming practices with shelters in Watkins Glen, N.Y., and Orland, Calif. Around Thanksgiving, the sanctuary has a special turkey fundraiser that allows people to sponsor a turkey for $30 or a flock for $180. According to the Farm Sanctuary's website, the organization has saved more than 1,000 turkeys in 24 years. "The project offers ideas and solutions for people who wish to celebrate a compassionate Thanksgiving holiday and start a new tradition by saving a turkey instead of eating one," the website states. This year, Filderman's mother, Diane, decided to do her part by adopting a flock of birds in her daughter's name. Every Thanksgiving, the sanctuary hosts a vegan dinner, where turkeys are not the targeted meal but the celebrated guests. "(They) eat pumpkin pie, squash, salad and cranberries," Marissa Filderman said. "They feed them a big feast." For Filderman and her mother, raising awareness about the downside of farming is important. "Once the sanctuary gets the turkeys, they flourish," Diane Filderman said. "They have a lot of personality." Although Marissa Filderman has a lot to be thankful for this holiday season, she said she is most appreciative of Mother Earth. "(Adopting a turkey) is my way of giving back, and I plan to continue to do things like this in the future," she said. "It's a nice way to celebrate (the holiday) as a vegetarian." Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more