Michigan police hand out turkeys for Thanksgiving to 'alleviate some financial strain' amid the holidays
150 residents in Jackson, Michigan, receive free turkeys to enjoy for Thanksgiving dinner
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In honor of Thanksgiving 2022, law enforcement is helping residents complete their Thanksgiving dinner by handing out free turkeys.
With inflation impacting holiday feasts this year, officers at the Jackson Police Department in Michigan are doing what they can to help their community.
On Wednesday, Nov. 16, hundreds of individuals waited in line in hopes of receiving a free turkey for their Thanksgiving celebration.
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One hundred and fifty residents received Thanksgiving turkeys in the city's first ever turkey giveaway, Fox 47 WSYM reported.
A Jackson police officer hands out a turkey to a local resident as a part of the city's first ever turkey giveaway. (Fox 47 WSYM)
They ran out in just under and hour.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"It’s not just our community. It’s all communities. We know the need is there and it’s not a lot but we tried to do what we could," Jackson's Group Violence Intervention Coordinator Cheryl Ragland told Fox 47.
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Ragland continued, "150 turkeys went really fast but next [year] there will be more for sure."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}This community outreach appeared to be meaningful to the families that were able to receive a turkey.
A local Jackson resident, Jaime Key, receives one of the turkey's being handed out during the Turkey giveaway. (Fox 47 WSYM)
One recipient said she was grateful since she was caring for her family and parents this holiday season.
Jackson resident Jaime Key told Fox 47, "I’m really thankful that they’re doing this."
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Ragland told Fox 47 that this turkey giveaway aligns with the positive messaging for Jackson's Group Violence and Intervention program.
A Jackson officer waits to gift a turkey to the next resident as a part of the city's turkey giveaway. (Fox 47 WSYM)
"With increasing food costs for families, we hope this will also alleviate some financial strain during the holiday season," Ragland told Fox 47.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}More feel good stories this morning! @CTWindsorPolice is cooking Thanksgiving meals for people in need. Officers come together with their families to make sure everyone in town has a home cooked meal. More on @FOX61News all morning long pic.twitter.com/chMBsYNeXQ
— Lindsey Kane (@lindseykanetv) November 23, 2022
Jackson Police aren't the only ones giving back this holiday season.
This week, police officers in Windsor, Connecticut, cooked Thanksgiving meals to be delivered to dozens of people.
And in 2021, the Mesa Police Department in Mesa, Arizona, surprised drivers by pulling them over only to gift them frozen turkeys instead of tickets.
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