Turkey on the Table Founders Talk About The Importance Of Giving And Gratitude

There’s no denying the excitement that autumn brings. It’s full of fun holidays, and so many reasons to celebrate with friends, family, and good food. But in the blurry of busyness, it can seem like the holidays skip straight from Halloween to Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s. But what about Thanksgiving? Well, April George and Kerry Manus, the founders of Turkey on the Table, were determined to change all that. They created a turkey that families could use to celebrate things in their lives that they were happy and grateful for. Here’s their story on how they created Turkey on the Table, their partnership with Feeding America, and having an attitude of gratitude not just for the holidays, but all year long.

What were you doing prior to starting Turkey on the Table?

I was a happy stay at home mom.

 

What was the impetus for creating Turkey on the Table?

We were looking for a way to teach gratitude in our own homes, and also tie it to Thanksgiving. We felt Thanksgiving was a forgotten holiday, but loved what it stands for- family, friends, good food, and thankfulness.

 

What was the design process like to create it?

It took a long time for us to create a turkey that what is the aesthetically pleasing enough that moms would like to have it on their counters for an entire month, but also that children would be drawn to. We worked on the design for a year and a half before we came up with the turkey as it is today.

 

What has the response been to Turkey On The Table?

We have had an amazing response. We have gotten lots of great feedback that people love the way it creates a visual display, that they appreciate learning about their children, and that they have used it for years in a row now. We love that we have created a tradition that has stuck.

 

How did your partnership with Feeding America come to be?

We reached out to them our first year with our idea and mission. To our surprise, they agreed to join us from the beginning with a corporate partnership. It was a huge blessing to us, and also a way to start spreading funds nationally from the start.

 

As entrepreneur moms, how do you balance it all?

It is not always easy!!! We do our best to help each other out when one or the other of us has important family things going on. We also give ourselves grace in the months of October and November, as they are always our busiest times. Starting in December when things slow down, we try to be very intentional to put work aside for a while.

 

What are your next steps or goals for Turkey On The Table?

We hope to continue to build on our 1 million meals — 2 million is our next big goal. We also want to continue to spread the word about our turkey and the importance of gratitude.

 

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