FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- Fairchild First Sergeants hosted the annual Operation Turkey Drop to help Airmen and their families, as well as veterans and Gold Star Families in the local Inland Northwest community Nov. 21.
First Sergeants packed and delivered bags full of thanksgiving meal supplies to those who needed it with the help of the Commissary and partnerships with local charities.
“We host this event every year to take care of families over the holidays who may be having a significant financial hardship or something going on where putting a Thanksgiving dinner on the table would be difficult,” said Master Sgt. Michael Weiant, 336th Training Support Squadron first sergeant. “This year we decided we wanted to sponsor off-base families as well, so we reached out to an outside organization in Post Falls, Idaho, and asked if they would like some support for their veterans and Gold Star Families.”
Gold Star Families are families of a fallen service member who died while serving in a time of conflict.
Thanksgiving meal supplies included food items such as turkey, stuffing, potatoes, green bean casserole and dessert mix.
Team Fairchild First Sergeants sponsored 150 families from base and took an additional 41 bags and turkeys to help local families.
“There are so many amazing people in the community that want to help their veterans, active-duty service members and Gold Star Families, and we are a way for them to do that,” said Theresa Hart, founder of Newby-ginnings, a non-profit organization in Post Falls, Idaho, that partnered with the First Sergeants.
Many members of Team Fairchild participate in community outreach to form a better connection with the public and veterans.
“It’s important for us to take care of each other; we all made a sacrifice for the [uniform] we all got to wear,” Weiant said. “There are different challenges that come up in our lives, and these type of things remind us we are here for each other.”