LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – When the holidays roll around, all too often we get a better sense of how many families in our community are food insecure. The number continues to grow year after year.

The Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office and community volunteers are working to combat food insecurities by giving away Thanksgiving turkeys with all the trimmings to families in need.

“For me personally, it’s a blessing to know that I can make a difference in helping someone for Thanksgiving,” said Deputy C. J. Releford, of Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office.

The giveaway is taking place Thursday, Nov. 9 at the Gwinnett County Fairgrounds from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Deputy C. J. Releford says when they started their Thanksgiving food giveaway three years ago, they fed nearly 2,000 families. In 2022, that number jumped to nearly 4,000. This year, they expect to feed close to 5,000 families.

Officials say families do not need to register in advance. They just need to show up if they need a helping hand. The giveaway on Thursday will be set up in such a way that families don’t even need to get out of their vehicles. All they have to do is drive up and deputies and an army of volunteers will load up their vehicle with a Thanksgiving meal.

“It’s great to know that our leadership takes the community very seriously. This is something we’ve been doing for three years straight and will continue to do,” said Deputy Releford.

Deputy Releford says while the giveaway aims to combat food insecurities, it’s also an opportunity for local law enforcement to make connections with members of the community.

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