The Detroit Free Press has two stories on its web site today as to how food pantries in communities that are only an hour or two away from Monroe are struggling to meet demand and provide Thanksgiving dinners.

Food pantries hit by hard prices:

Other food pantries in metro Detroit also are looking this year for turkey substitutes, like ham or chicken breasts, said Anne Weekley, spokeswoman for Gleaners Community Food Bank.

Gleaners buys turkeys for about 400 food pantries, soup kitchens and community groups. Last year, subsidized by corporate money, Gleaners was able to sell its turkeys for about 18 cents a pound. But this year, Weekley said, the cost was about 90 cents a pound.

And Help for hungry suffers setbacks in Livingston County:

For years, the Salvation Army of Livingston County in Howell has connected hungry people with organizations and individuals eager to provide them with food baskets or a hearty Thanksgiving dinner. This year, they have a longer list of recipients than donors.

Now, what are your options in Monroe County?

One possibility was to purchase a holiday dinner box from Angel Food Ministries. While the November deliveries were made this weekend, there is still time to order a December box. The price will be $35 for the December holiday food box. You must order and pay for it in advance (there are two delivery sites in Monroe County), but those logistics can be a lot easier for some people than chasing loss-leader sales at the grocery stores.

There also are some free community dinners in the area.

The Flat Rock Family Cafe in Flat Rock will hold its 26th annual Thanksgiving Dinner for needy and homeless families starting at 11 a.m. Tuesday. For information, call (734) 789-9900.

And the God Works! Family Soup Kitchen coordinates the schedules for most of the free dinners for the needy in Monroe County. Go to the web site for the schedule.