PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Members of the Philadelphia Police Department prepped, packed and delivered more than 400 Thanksgiving dinner boxes Tuesday morning for families across all 20 police districts in the city.
This is the department’s 58th annual Operation Thanksgiving. Each delivery comes with a 12- to 16-pound turkey, potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, green beans, long grain rice, corn muffin mix, cake mix and gravy.
Each box also includes a note from Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel. He was at the center of the assembly line Tuesday as officers filled boxes one by one.
“This is about giving,” he said. “It’s just a really exciting time for us, for the community relations and all our teams to get together. It’s a great opportunity to give back to the community.”
Police department employees donated more than $12,000 for this year’s effort, and Browns Super Stores chipped in nearly $1,400.
Officers identified families in the community who might benefit from a free Thanksgiving meal. Bethel said Philly families have a uniquely pressing need, and he hopes to alleviate some of that pressure.
“We understand the food insecurity issues across our city. So it’s not enough here. I wish I could feed every family, but at least this week we’re going to make some families happy.”