Full-course dinners that brought tears to the eyes of some of the recipients were delivered Wednesday by officers using armored police tactical SWAT trucks.
Manteca and Ripon police department officers spent their day off making sure the most needy in the two communities they serve and protect had complete Thanksgiving meals.
It was quite a scene with a large SWAT vehicle lumbering through neighborhoods in both communities the day before Thanksgiving. SWAT officers seen climbing out of the trucks with everything from turkeys, casseroles, pumpkin pies and even with two bottles of sparkling cider.
Officers walked across lawns and knocked on the front doors for the families living there as neighbors peeked out their windows curious to the police presence.
The full course meals included mashed potatoes, gravy, spiral ham, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls and stuffing to go with the turkey. Some of the recipients and their neighbors couldn’t believe their eyes when the off-duty officers walked up to three homes in Manteca and two in Ripon with their gifts for those who wouldn’t even have had the basics for Thanksgiving.
Moms who were holding on to their children were especially touched by the caring of the officers.
The funds for the dinners came from fundraisers held by the Tactical Police Officers foundation in the greater Manteca area. The families called the special deliveries blessings they hadn’t expected to see this Thanksgiving.