More than 400 Dayton-area families receive turkeys for Christmas dinner tables

Buckeye Health Plan distributed 595 turkeys Tuesday morning, which aligns with their vision of transforming the health of the community -- one person at a time.

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This year, 450 families in the Dayton area won't have to worry where Christmas dinner is coming from.

"When you see the tears in the eyes of someone when you just bring them a turkey and they say 'Oh my god, I didn't know what I was going to feed my kids for Christmas or that day', it just makes you feel so good," Anisa Ballard, Buckeye Health Plan representative, told News Center 7's Ronnell Hunt on Tuesday.

According to feedingamerica.org, more than 1.6 million people struggle with hunger. Nearly one third of these people are children.

Buckeye Health Plan works with families in Dayton, Cleveland, Columbus and numerous other cities throughout the year, providing them with the resources and tools they need to be self-sufficient.

This season, 4,000 families throughout 11 cities in Ohio will be fed.

Buckeye Health Plan's objective is to let families know they are not alone during hardship.