STONECREST, Ga. — There may have been freezing temperatures in metro Atlanta Thursday morning, but thousands of hearts were warmed in the spirit of giving.
At Stonecrest's New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, the community came together for one of Atlanta's largest turkey giveaways ever. With record high inflation, the turkey giveaway was of even more importance with Thanksgiving now just a week away.
People waited hours in their cars for free Thanksgiving meals as volunteers gave out more than 2,000 turkeys to those who showed up. Among the items handed out: turkeys, boxes of fruit and vegetables, shelf-stable items, iced tea, and even some getting multiple turkeys depending on their needs.
The church gave away roughly 1,000 turkeys last year and decided to raise the giveaway to an astounding 2,200 for this year's holiday season.
"I can't put it into words," one volunteer said. "It's just a joy to be able to serve the community, to serve the people -- we meet new people every weekend with volunteers or people coming in the community -- and so I can't put it into words. It's just an awesome experience and to be able to see the joy on their faces knowing you're helping and serving families is just great."
The giveaway began at 6 a.m. Thursday morning and lasted until 10 a.m. as families facing food insecurity poured in to capitalize on the community's good deed.
Organizers said they were able to feed over 5,000 people through Thursday's event.
You can check out information regarding other turkey giveaway locations and dates in metro Atlanta by clicking here.
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