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Houston County deputies pass out free Thanksgiving meals

Many of us are counting down the hours until we carve the turkey, pour the gravy, and eat way too many desserts, but not every family can afford a Thanksgiving meal of their own, and a special group of people took notice.

Many of us are counting down the hours until we carve the turkey, pour the gravy, and eat way too many desserts, but not every family can afford a Thanksgiving meal of their own, and a special group of people took notice. Yvonne Thomas went door to door with a few off-duty Houston County deputies as they delivered free Thanksgiving dinners.

It's not your typical "blue light special," where the men in blue are suiting up to "arrest hunger." “It's called 'Operation Arresting Hunger,'” said Deputy Kevin Taylor, Houston County Deputy. “We saw a need for the less fortunate families and we decided to do something about it,” said Taylor.

Houston County Deputy Kevin Taylor started the program 6 years ago when he noticed people in need on his patrol route. “The people that we reach from the elderly to kids, it's amazing how you don't know. You could have a neighbor that is struggling, but he'll never open up his mouth and tell you,” said Taylor.

So instead of walking away from the problem in front of him, each year, Taylor and other deputies, go back to the neighborhoods on their own time and pass out 100 Thanksgiving meals. “Each meal has a pre-cooked turkey and sides to go with it,” said Taylor. “Some families have more than 6 people, so they'll get two boxes to make sure they have leftovers for the next couple of days.”

Even though Taylor and many other officers won't enjoy a Thanksgiving meal with their families, he believes that everyone deserves to have something special at their Thanksgiving table. “Hopefully we can make some other folks happy in the process,” said Taylor.

Taylor says each year, the Sheriff's Office finds families in need of help from local food banks, Houston County Schools, and churches.

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