Feeding Chittenden in Burlington is still working to make sure every family in Chittenden County has a Thanksgiving meal.

The local food shelf says they are in need of side dishes like canned vegetables including carrots and corn, plus canned cranberry sauce and pie fillings.

Feeding Chittenden over the weekend, got closer to their goal of 4,500 turkeys, but they still need about a thousand to get there.

"I don't like to see people go hungry," said Glen O'Brien of Colchester, who has been donating to the group during the holidays for years, and his contribution increases every time. "I hope it takes care of their hunger for a day or so."

Just one of those meals could feed a family like Yarrow Upton's for weeks. "Can make turkey soup out of it and sandwiches afterwards, so that's going to be a huge help just to get through the holidays," said Upton.

She says as utility costs skyrocket during the winter months, she couldn't afford a warm Thanksgiving meal for her and her daughter without the turkey drive. "My daughter's birthday is also during the Thanksgiving week, so we have more to celebrate," she said.

Upton's been taking advantage of the resources at Feeding Chittenden for about three years since she completed graduate school and had to pay back her loans. She's also been volunteering there for a little more than a year.

Upton is one of the 12,000 people in the county who rely on Feeding Chittenden, but the organization says there's at least 8,000 more families who need help and choose not to come through its doors.

"Food is something we all need. So, it's here and it's available and there shouldn't be any embarrassment about it because everybody has a hard time in their life at some point. And this is a great place to just make that hard time a little bit easier," said Upton.

If you can't make it to the grocery store, officials say a monetary donation can also help help them. They say $25 can feed a family of four.

"We understand a lot of people want to give the turkey as a tangible gift, and it gets the family involved, but if you're making a monetary donation, we can stretch those dollars even further. We can buy in bulk," said the group's Anna McMahon.

They're trying to raise $375,000 by the end of the year. The deadline is Wednesday.