On a day of plenty, there are still many in need

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Many families will be sitting down to a chicken dinner this Thanksgiving because food pantries decided they could help more people by forgoing the traditional turkeys.

As the nation attempts to recover from recession, many remain out of work or are struggling to get by on part-time jobs. In Los Angeles County alone, more than 1.56 million residents lived below the poverty level last year, according to the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

‘You think there’s signs of a turnaround, but there’s no sign of a turnaround here,’ said the Rev. Andy Bales, who heads the Union Rescue Mission on downtown Los Angeles’ skid row. ‘There’s a lot of people barely making it.’

Read more to find out how you can help: ‘Southern California charities seek help for the holidays.’