Giving at Thanksgiving

Monday, November 23, the Iowa Department of Public Safety (DPS) packaged full Thanksgiving meals that were donated to one family in need in each of Iowa's 99 counties in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. The Iowa DPS recognizes that there are many families in need this holiday season and organized a collection within the Department that raised over $5,000 to help facilitate the project. Pictured above, local Iowa State Patrol Troopers Jay Hansen (left) and Robert Burns (right) distributed the meal pictured above to a designated family in Allamakee County Tuesday, November 24.
Fareway Stores, Inc. offered assistance with the project by gathering a full-sized turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, green beans, a five-pound bag of potatoes and a pie for each of the 99 families. The remaining funds will be distributed to 15 food banks around Iowa. Iowa State Patrol Troopers, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Special Agents and other Iowa Department of Public Safety members hand delivered the meals to the families, as well as the checks to the food banks. The Department of Public Safety appreciates the assistance offered by Fareway in making the project possible. "Our Department serves this entire state through our six divisions and several bureaus. We are in all 99 counties working on a daily basis. We felt this would be a great way to give back to the communities we live in and serve, especially when they are in need this holiday season," DPS Commissioner Roxann Ryan said.