Military members in cars were lined up to receive Thanksgiving meals outside the American Red Cross House on Joint Base Maguire-Dix-Lakehurst on Friday, November 21, at the annual Operation Turkey food distribution event. Frozen turkeys and bags of ingredients for traditional Thanksgiving side dishes were donated in gratitude for the service of military members in New Jersey.
“Military members and their families are serving our country every day,” said Kim Goetz, interim regional executive, American Red Cross New Jersey. “We hope by distributing turkeys and other Thanksgiving meal fixings, military families are reminded of how thankful we are for their service and sacrifice.”
Red Cross volunteers were joined by military members stationed at Joint Base Maguire-Dix-Lakehurst who helped load cars – and a motorcycle rider – with frozen turkeys and bags of food as they drove up to the Red Cross house.
“They’re going to have this memory of being here at the Joint Base and having this beautiful Thanksgiving dinner,” said Major Sergeant Deborah Korenoski. “They may not think of the Red Cross, but they will be thinking of each other and we need that community and connectedness.”
Red Cross Central New Jersey Board members collected and supported community partner Military Support Alliance (MSA) to provide more than 250 frozen turkeys to military families this holiday season. To accompany the donation of turkeys, Red Cross Southern New Jersey Board members collected and assembled bags of ingredients for Thanksgiving side dishes.
Carrie Williams of the Red Cross Southern New Jersey Board and President of the American Water Charitable Foundation found American Water employees, 500 of which service 18 military installations across the country with water and wastewater services, were eager to support Operation Turkey.
“When I joined the American Red Cross Board, I learned about the organization’s Service to the Armed Forces, which we at American Water have a huge passion for,” Williams said. “We had a ton of employee support in helping to organize a food drive. They love it and it makes people at my office feel like they are doing something really meaningful.”
In addition to the collection by Board members, Turkey Time in Manalapan donated a collection of more than 300 frozen turkeys and side dishes for distribution to service members at JBMDL, NWS Earle, and the Coast Guard Training Center.
