Turkey Brigade aiming to feed 13,000 people this year

The Turkey Brigade was one mother’s blessing many years ago. With a young son, single mother Carrie Crisman wasn’t sure how she would provide a Thanksgiving meal for her family. When she found out about the Turkey Brigade, she was relieved to know they would not have to go without.

Crisman was overwhelmed with gratitude when volunteers brought the turkey and side dishes to her home the week before Thanksgiving. “I felt relieved that no matter what our circumstances were, we would have a wonderful meal together,” she remembered.

The Turkey Brigade, being held Saturday, Nov. 18, is a community outreach service project spearheaded by the Personal Best Charity whose mission is to provide those in need a Thanksgiving dinner. Now in its 23rd year, volunteers have packaged and delivered Thanksgiving meals to 29,000 families. This year, the goal is 3,250 families – which will bring the total number of people being fed by the Brigade over the years to approximately 116,000.

Personal Best Charity is affiliated with Personal Best Karate, which has karate schools in Norton, Foxborough, Easton, Norwood, Medfield and Raynham, and many of the students and families volunteer for the cause. Personal Best and towns service groups and sport teams often use the Turkey Brigade as their service project, and come in uniform as they help.

At the Turkey Brigade, people act as human conveyor belts; as they walk through the gym at St. Mary’s School in Mansfield, they pack baking tins with all the Thanksgiving fixings. “It is amazing to watch everyone come together to help those in our community who may not be able to have a Thanksgiving meal,” said Personal Best Charity Board of Directors President Christopher Rappold.

Crisman and her now-adult son volunteer at the Brigade every year, packaging meals for those who were once like her. “As a past recipient of the Turkey Brigade, I know just how important this meal can be for a family in need,” said Crisman. “It made all the difference for my son and I during a tough time. We will forever be grateful and continue to volunteer every year for those in need.”

“It’s not only the Personal Best families who help with this community service project,” Rappold explained. “We’ve been doing the Turkey Brigade for 23 years so far and the people in the community step up and help out. That is great, because to feed 3,250 families – roughly 13,000 people – we will need everyone’s help.”

The Personal Best Charity Turkey Brigade will be held on Saturday, Nov. 18 at St. Mary’s School, Pratt Street in Mansfield at 1 p.m. The public is invited to come at 1 p.m. and to help package the meals.

The following day, Sunday, Nov. 19, at 1 p.m., the meals are then delivered to the recipients. The Charity will also need help delivering the meals; and this part of the weekend is the most touching for those who deliver. “Delivering the meals to the families who need them is a poignant moment,” said Rappold. “We can’t teach our children any better about helping others than by having them be a part of this process and seeing what their hard work is for.”

Community members are encouraged to come and help the process. Service groups, Scouts and sport teams are welcomed to use this opportunity to utilize community service hours. There is no need to register beforehand, just come and join in. Recipients of the Turkey Brigade are provided to the Charity from service organizations and churches throughout the area.

Along with corporate sponsors, children and families raised money for the food though Personal Best Charity’s annual Turkey Trot run in October, which raised more than $57,000 this year. Friends and local schools have also donated canned goods, made cards and will package and deliver the meals to the receiving family’s door. While providing a great need to community, it is also at the same time teaching service and citizenship to children.

Thanks to the corporate sponsors: Patriot Place, Foxboro Fit Club, Ocean Spray, Louis and Mary Kay Smith Family Foundation, Mirrione, Shaughnessy & Uitti, LLC, The Norton Family, One Beacon Charitable Trust, Halvorsen Orthodontics, Land Development Northeast, Inc., FusionStorm, American Climbers, LLC, Anonymous, The Gallagher Family, HR Knowledge, Inc., North Easton Savings Bank, Norwood Engineering, Bay Colony Group, Inc., Donahue Architects, Inc., Stephen Barker, Art & Soul Tattoo, Barrows Insurance, Brown Real Estate, Data Quest Ltd., Norton Family Dental Group, PC, The Palter Family, The Raman Family, The Produce Barn, The Pro's Car Care Complex, Todesco Plumbing and Heating, Wendell's Pub, The White Family, Koso America, The Harrington Family, Encompass IT, Inc., Connolly Insurance, The Pernock Family, Sharon Credit Union, Southeastern Mass. Detectives Association, Trinitarian Congregational Church, In Focus Eye Care, Linda Costanzo/Keller Williams Realty, Sue's Cleaners, Maplewood Country Day, Easton Chamber of Commerce, Graham Family Giving Fund, Shady Tree Landscaping, Needham Bank, Kings Wood Montessori School, Printmaster, Taunton Depot, Roberts Mitchell Caruso Funeral Home and M/M Graham.