The price of turkey has fallen for the second straight Thanksgiving, but the cost of a meal will still set consumers back 19% more than five years ago.

Carving a turkey, whether for Thanksgiving or any other holiday celebration, is a necessity that somehow became a grandiose tradition. In popular culture, the honor has traditionally gone to the family's patriarch. That practice dates to the Middle Ages.

With Thanksgiving less than a week away, local organizations are stepping up to make sure those in need have something on the table this holiday.