Thanksgiving will be here before we realize it, and the Denver Rescue Mission is in need of a lot of frozen birds.

Thursday marked the first day of the shelter’s annual turkey drive and 10,000 frozen birds weighing 12 pounds or more are requested.

“We have an amazing community, and we know people will help anyway they can,” Alexxa Gagner, mission spokeswoman, said.

Last year, the mission received more than the requested goal, but there was some stress as numbers were low at the halfway point, Gagner said. “People don’t always respond right away.”

Turkeys are served at the Great Thanksgiving Banquet on Nov. 21, used in 1,200 holiday food boxes and distributed to struggling families in Metro Denver through churches, schools and non-profit organizations, Gagner said.

Denver Rescue will provide about 136,000 meals during the holiday season, Gagner said.

Additional items needed include canned fruit, canned vegetables, canned pumpkin, boxed stuffing, instant mashed potatoes, gravy packets, canned cranberries, and canned yams, Gagner said.

Donations can be dropped off anytime at the Lawrence Street Shelter.

For more information, call 303-2971-815 or visit DenverRescueMission.org/turkey.

Ryan Parker: 303-954-2409, rparker@denverpost.com or twitter.com/ryanparkerdp