If the Leaning Tower of Pisa were made of frozen turkeys stacked on top of each other, that's the equivalent of how many turkeys the Gleason Family YMCA served up on Monday, as families in the community came to haul away the 20-pound birds for their Thanksgiving dinner.

This is the second year the Gleason Family YMCA has given full Thanksgiving dinners to the community. There were 200 people who signed up for a meal and another 17 on the waiting list.

The potatoes, carrots, mixed vegetables, gravy, cranberry sauce, macaroni and cheese and dessert items that accompanied the turkeys were donated by local businesses, churches and farms. The turkeys were all donated by Tom Lange Company of Fairhaven.

Dozens volunteered throughout the day on Monday, assembling the bags of food and passing them out to families from Wareham, Rochester and Marion. Some meals were also delivered to people's homes.

"It's a nice collaboration with the community and with the different organizations who are involved," said Gleason Family YMCA Executive Director Debbie Fringuelli.

Fringuelli said the YMCA has been planning for this day since July, working to find businesses to donate food and plan logistics. The sign-up for meals filled up quickly, she said, and she hopes next year more families can be accommodated.

"The need is very, very great in this area," she said.

Volunteers from the community, the YMCA and the JROTC were happy to pitch in to make everything run smoothly.

"It makes me feel good to be able to do something for other people," said Lydia Sherman, who works at the Gleason Family YMCA and volunteered to help pass out food.

Jennifer Cuddy and David West, 11, came from New Bedford and braved the chilly weather to see the smiles on people's faces and help hoist turkeys into their cars.

"We just wanted to be a part of it," Cuddy said. "It's a good feeling to give back."

Hundreds of people who stopped by the YMCA expressed their gratitude for the help. Some had just lost their jobs and others were just in tough financial situations.

"This is a huge help," said Laurie DeBarrows, who picked up food for her family of four. "It's amazing to see the community giving back."