• by Sarah Mahoney , Yesterday

Thanksgiving marketing has always relied on the same tableau: golden turkeys, groaning tables, laughing families. This year, those images collide with a harsher reality. Food banks are overwhelmed, soup-kitchen lines are stretching longer, and community groups are pleading for help as food prices climb. Turkey costs alone are up anywhere from 40% to 75% nationwide, depending on supply and region.

Retailers, brands, and restaurants are scrambling to find more honest ways to reach both the haves and the have-nots. Many are trading glossy indulgence for solidarity: ramping up food donations, partnering with food banks, and launching “give-back” campaigns along with doorbusters.

A new Feeding America survey captures the unease. Instead of searching for indulgent dessert recipes, many consumers are doom-scrolling through bad news: 77% say the government shutdown will worsen hunger, 91% expect rising demand at food banks, 83% believe families will skip meals, and 85% foresee less-healthy food choices ahead.

“Communities are feeling the real, human impact the shutdown is having on their neighbors,” said Linda Nageotte, president and COO of Feeding America, in the report. “Families, seniors, veterans and people with disabilities are showing strength through hardship — and their communities are standing beside them, giving their time and money so no one faces hunger alone.”

Many companies are scrambling for the best response. FMI, the food marketing trade group, reports that smaller stores like Tops Friendly Markets and Schnucks Markets are running new food-drive campaigns. Giants are also stepping in: Meijer has pledged $4 million to food banks across six Midwest states and expanded its Simply Give program, which turns $10 checkout donations into pantry gift cards. For every Meijer-brand food item purchased Nov. 23–29, the company will donate the equivalent of one meal.

CPG companies are also accelerating aid. Mondelez International, which donates roughly 11 million pounds of food each year to Feeding America, is increasing its contributions this season. Campbell Soup Co. — which gives about $50 million annually in products — is adding a creative twist: for each $99 Cynthia Rowley-designed Campbell’s tote sold, it will donate 99 cans of soup to Feeding America.

Still, the structural strain remains. Roughly 41 million Americans depend on SNAP benefits, and the current legal standoff in Washington has left November payments uncertain. Even for those paying full freight, Thanksgiving groceries will sting. The American Farm Bureau Federation reports wholesale turkey prices up 40%. Purdue University’s Center for Food Demand Analysis & Sustainability notes that wholesale turkey prices have surged 75% since October 2024, reaching $1.71 per pound in October 2025. Its model predicts an average retail price of approximately $2.05 per pound in November,up 25% from a year ago. “This means that a typical 15-pound turkey could cost around $31,” it says in its analysis.

Some grocers are cushioning the blow. Purdue notes that many use turkeys as loss-leaders, with Walmart currently pricing whole birds at 98 cents per pound to draw shoppers. Kroger just announced a “Freshgiving” bundle — a 14- to 16-lb. turkey and fixings to feed 10 people for less than $4.75 per person — and launched a round-up donation program for local hunger-relief partners through Jan. 1. “We believe families deserve a Thanksgiving meal that is affordable and delicious,” said Mary Ellen Adcock, executive vice president and CMO, in the announcement. “Especially this year, we’re giving our customers the quality they expect and the value they love — ensuring everyone has a memorable holiday.”