Dozens of volunteers, both soldiers and civilians, helped out at the Killeen Food Care Center Monday to load up frozen turkeys and groceries for 1,000 local military families.
“As a chaplain, I see many soldiers who need some extra help at the holidays,” said Joseph Anaman, a chaplain at Fort Cavazos. In his unit, the 69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, about 126 families “will be blessed by these donations.”
The annual food distribution event is coordinated by the local food bank and Family and Community Services at Fort Cavazos. volunteers from First National Bank, the Fort Cavazos Spouses Club, the DAV Chapter 147 and other community members who showed up to move packaged items from the loading dock to waiting vehicles where the individual packages would be distributed.
Anaman is originally from Ghana and has been in the Army for six years.
“This is my first active-duty role and I am so grateful to the city and the donors for their generosity,” said Anaman, who was at the Killeen food bank Monday morning along with 60 other soldiers to help pick up the food for distribution back on post.
“This is the largest food distribution event on Fort Cavazos,” said Raymond Cockrell, executive director of the Killeen Food Care Center.
“We are proud to partner with many groups and individuals to ensure our military families don’t go hungry, ever — not just at the holidays,” Cockrell said.
Sylvia Gavin with Family and Community Services at Fort Cavazos worked with each military unit as they arrived at the center.
Items were packed and wrapped to withstand the quick trip back to post. Once back on Fort Cavazos, Family and Community Services will distribute them to soldiers’ families in need this holiday season.
Volunteers spent weeks organizing bags and boxes and crates of donated goods in anticipation of this event.
“This annual event has been going on for more than 20 years and it means a lot to the largely military-affiliated Killeen-Fort Cavazos community,” Cockrell said.
The Thanksgiving distribution is organized every year with the help of the Fort Cavazos Chaplain’s Office and financial assistance programs on post.
Tuesday, the Food Care Center will hand out turkeys with all the fixings to the first 200 people in line. Normally, the gates open at 9 a.m., but Cockrell plans to begin handing out turkeys at 8 a.m.
“I wish we could provide turkeys for everyone who shows up, but we have stretched donations as far as they will go to accommodate as many people as possible,” Cockrell said.
