MACON, Ga. — Wednesday morning, deputies swept out to homes across Houston County, not on a raid, but on a mission to make sure families had everything they needed for a Thanksgiving dinner.
This is the 11th year of Operation Arresting Hunger, a project that assists families in the county around the holidays.
We checked in with Rosa Jenkins, who we met back in September, before the Operation Arresting Hunger Fundraising event.
Back then she told us, that between her medical bills and the rising cost of groceries, she needed some help this holiday season.
Now that she's received her meal, she says, "I'm grateful, thankful and blessed."
She says when she opened her special box she was very excited to see her turkey, but she was most grateful for the visit from the sheriff's department.
"I feel like sometimes I'm here by myself, but I'm not. I'm really not, so I'm blessed," Jenkins says.
70 homes were visited across the county, feeding over 400 people.
"I enjoy each and every box I've ever delivered," says Sergeant Chad Weldon.
Weldon has been working to arrest hunger for the last six years. He says he enjoys surprising the families, and he hopes it allows everyone to have a great Thanksgiving with family.
Corporal Henry Lawrence says he knows what it's like to be on the other end of efforts like this.
"As a child I was in a halfway house. They provided us with toys for Christmas, and stuff like that," he shares.
That's why he understand just how much it means to families like Jenkins'.
"To give those families who wouldn't think anybody's thinking about them is awesome," he adds.
For Angel Nunez, he says he like that it builds a bond between the community and the sheriff's department
"It brings a lot of meaning to what we do, for the community, and it also gives the community a chance to see what we are here to offer them," Nunez says.
It's a bond that Jenkins won't forget. Their giving encourages her so much, she plans to continue giving to others.
"I'm going to fix some plates -- I'm going to say about four or five -- and take them out," she says.
Corporal Kevin Taylor says they're looking forward to their next event, a Christmas toy giveaway.