Hundreds in South Linden receive free Thanksgiving dinner from police, nonprofit
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The spirit of giving was in the air as Columbus police partnered with a local nonprofit group to distribute free Thanksgiving meals Wednesday to hundreds of residents at a South Linden apartment complex.
The program, titled “Cops and Gobblers,” is entering its third year of providing meals to Rosewind Apartments residents and is a partnership between Columbus police and the Starfish Assignment, a nonprofit that works with law enforcement officers to identify needs in the areas they serve.
Columbus police officer Michael Daymut, one of the officers in the precinct who founded the program, said he noticed the need in Rosewind and decided to try and make a difference with Starfish Assignment.
“It’s the spirit of the holidays, giving and seeing a smile on somebody’s face even for just a few minutes makes it all worthwhile,” Daymut said.
Dozens of police officers and volunteers gathered at Douglas Community Center in the brisk November air to pack more than 200 bags with frozen turkeys and side dishes. They then went door-to-door in Rosewind Apartments in South Linden, distributing the meals to the families.
Those who couldn't be handed a dinner in person are left with instructions on how to claim the meal at the Douglas Community Center on Windsor Avenue.
When the program began three years ago, people in the apartment complex were struggling to make ends meet — and it has only gotten harder since, said Nicole Banks, Starfish Assignment president.
Starfish Assignment: Nonprofit teams with police to give kids summer fun with bicycles
Offering a Thanksgiving meal, she said, means more than many people might think.
“There’s families who said they didn’t know whether they would be able to have Thanksgiving this year,” Banks said. “These things are so important to people.”
Daymut said that each year they’ve held the event, it’s grown larger and received more support from police and community partners. This year’s event was sponsored by Kemba Financial Credit Union, Walmart and the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department.
“We have a great crew (in our precinct),” Daymut said of the dozens of officers volunteering. “We love the neighborhood and we love coming to work each day and we support each other in our community.”
Police announce public turkey distribution for next week
Earlier this week, Columbus police announced six locations throughout the city where they will also distribute free Thanksgiving turkeys on Monday.
The free turkey distribution begins at noon and is on a first-come, first-served basis at the following police stations:
Headquarters – 120 Marconi Blvd.
Substation 5 – 1371 Cleveland Ave.
Substation 11 – 950 East Main St.
Substation 13 – 544 Woodrow Ave.
Substation 18 – 1120 Morse Road
Substation 19 – 2070 Sullivant Ave.
No registration is required and the distribution is open to all Columbus residents while supplies last. The total number of turkeys that will be available, however, was not released.
@Colebehr_report
Cbehrens@dispatch.com
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Police, nonprofit give hundreds in South Linden a Thanksgiving meal
