Mid-Michigan residents in need can get help with their Thanksgiving holiday meal because of some annual traditions aimed at giving back.
Blondie’s Barn in Haslett is continuing its annual tradition of staying open on Thanksgiving and offering meals to community members.
Andrew Manuel is the owner of the restaurant. He says his wife Blondie created the event more than 10 years ago.
“We're blessed and wanted to share the blessing back," he said.
Manuel says the event attracts all kinds of people.
“We're just not after people that can't afford the meal, which we want that out as number one, but also those that are older and might be alone on Thanksgiving. We get a lot of students from campus that might be from out of town or from out of the country.”
The Jackson County Police Department is partnering with Walmart and an anonymous donor to give out 500 turkeys this Thursday.
This is the third year of the Turkey Drive-Thru event at the Jackson County Fairgrounds.
Cheryl Ragland is the Group Violence Intervention Coordinator for the city of Jackson. She says the event is overwhelmingly popular.
“The phones ring off the hook starting like the first of October. People wanting to know, are we going to do it again? And of course, we are.”
Meanwhile, the Michigan State Police is working with Kroger to deliver 200 Thanksgiving dinners to families identified by schools and community organizations.
Participating MSP posts include Lansing, Jackson, Monroe, Brighton, Metro North, Metro South, Flint, Lapeer and Tri-City.