Wichita area families are getting some help for the holiday

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Nearly 200 free Thanksgiving meals are going out to the community this week.

Police in Wichita and surrounding communities filled boxes with turkey and other Thanksgiving staples. They’re going to struggling families officers had contact with throughout the year.

“You know, times are tough, and people are tightening their belts, but they’re still taking an extra effort to get some money out in the community,” said Joe Schroeder, the Director of Operations for Union Rescue Mission of Wichita.

Union Rescue Mission teamed up with the Wichita, Maize and Bel Aire police departments to make it happen. The boxes they packed on Thursday come with frozen turkey and all the fixings.
Officers will also deliver them.

He says about $12,000 worth of food was handed out. Meals will also be given to families around Christmas time.

“It means a lot to the families who are kind of struggling because sometimes you’ve got families who don’t even celebrate Thanksgiving or Christmas,” said Schroeder.

They will prepare more holiday meals this Christmas and also put together food boxes for families on Thursdays.

There are more opportunities for you to pick up your Thanksgiving dinner:

College Hill Methodist Church has a turkey distribution on Saturday, Nov. 18.

New Life Church is giving out produce on Wednesday, Nov. 22.

Lord’s Diner will have sit-down and to-go dinners on Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, Nov. 23). They will also send out their mobile food trucks.