Department Spotlight: Delaware lends hand to help the hungry

Editor’s note: This is a weekly series of Department Spotlight stories featuring unique programs and initiatives of departments throughout The American Legion. Department adjutants are invited to recommend subjects for their departments by emailing magazine@legion.org.

Over the past decade, Jim Lafferty has experienced firsthand the growth of The American Legion Department of Delaware's participation in Thanksgiving for Thousands, a program to collect and distribute Thanksgiving meals to needy families.

Lafferty, the current Sussex district commander, was commander of Post 28 in Millsboro, Del., 10 years ago when Mountaire Farms asked him if the post would be interested in participating in the program.

Mountaire, a poultry processor which is one of the state’s largest employers, began Thanksgiving for Thousands over 20 years ago to provide food for needy families in the Delmarva (Delaware-Maryland-Virginia) region.

“The idea of giving back to the community and helping people have a Thanksgiving dinner that wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to have one, to me was a good idea. And that’s what the Legion is about, giving back to the community and helping the community. Plus, there’s a whole lot of veterans that are also in need,” Lafferty said.

While initially the Legion’s participation included packing meals at Post 28, the logistics became too unwieldy. Now, Legion family members from across the district and state join hundreds of other volunteers at Mountaire’s facility in Selbyville for the box-packing.

It doesn’t begin there for the Legion’s involvement, however. In late October and early November, Legionnaires, Legion Riders, Sons and Auxiliary members joined other volunteers at grocery stores across southern Delaware to ask shoppers to donate food toward the program. They then collected the donations and took them to the warehouse in Selbyville.

From there, Mountaire purchased whatever food was necessary to round out the packages and donated 8,500 7-pound roasters for the meals. Volunteers then gathered Monday to pack all 8,500 boxes, which were to be distributed Tuesday at Dagsboro Church of God. That church and others around the area submit information on families they know are in need of Thanksgiving meals.

“The American Legion does a great job with us,” said Roger Marino, corporate director of community relations for Mountaire Farms.

That’s a testament to the community service that veterans bring, Marino said.

“When (they) come back from military duty, they get involved in the community,” Marino said.

Past National Commander and current Delaware Adjutant Richard Santos said The American Legion’s participation in Thanksgiving for Thousands is another way for the Legion to be involved in the community.

“In most cases, whenever The American Legion participates, it’s their program, it’s their base that brings the people to them to be a part of. Here, it’s a program from Mountaire Farms and all the churches and other community aspects, it’s their program that we go in and help them. I think it’s just a different turn from how The American Legion normally works. (But it’s) still achieving the same goal,” Santos said.

While the Legion family members may not see firsthand how the meals help those who receive them, they know they’re making a difference.

“When you sit down at Thanksgiving with your family and your meal, there’s a good feeling that you helped somebody,” Lafferty said.

Santos added, “The food inside is great, but the hope that goes with the package is even better.”