Our Mission
Dedicated to providing advocacy and promoting public support for Cobb and surrounding counties’ law enforcement agencies and their officers, while honoring these men and women for their service to our community. Our mission is to provide a resource for public support and to promote positive relationships between local law enforcement and the communities they serve. Although Blue Thanksgiving, Inc. is involved in various efforts and projects throughout the year, our largest project is the coordination and delivery of holiday meals to officers on duty Thanksgiving day.
Blue Thanksgiving, Inc is a Georgia Nonprofit Corporation and Licensed Public Charity with the Georgia Secretary of State Office.
We are a 501(c)(3) registered organization with the IRS
Blue Thanksgiving, Inc is a Georgia Nonprofit Corporation and Licensed Public Charity with the Georgia Secretary of State Office.
We are a 501(c)(3) registered organization with the IRS
Thanksgiving 2021
This year marked our eighth annual Thanksgiving day meal deliveries, and once again, volunteers and supporters made this happen for our officers. This year we sent out over 360 meals to officers working on Thanksgiving day and the volunteers making those deliveries. Officers on duty during the day received hot meals of turkey, dressing and gravy, sweet potato souffle, green beans, salads and more. Officers that worked the later shifts came in to find trays of turkey, ham and assorted cheeses awaiting them along with chips, salads, desserts and more. The wonderful folks at The Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church provided the space to us this year for staging dry goods, and supplies, while Paul's Pot Pies in Kennesaw provided the commercial kitchen space where we did some of the prep work. "Come-n-Get It" was busy cooking and packaging meals in the huge commercial kitchen at the Greek Orthodox Church and volunteers arrived throughout the day on Thanksgiving to load up everything needed for assigned precincts. This year was bigger and more organized than any year prior. We would like to thank the nearly 30 volunteers that came out and worked on this holiday to make the day a little nicer for officers on duty. We would also like to thank all the supporters who gave financially to make this happen. Without you all, this could not happen.
Let's Go to the Movies!
What do our officers do when they're not working the streets? The same things the rest of us do! They wash their cars, play with their kids, BBQ with their friends, watch their favorite teams play ball, and all the things the rest of us do! Once in a while we like to offer up an opportunity for these men and women to go out and enjoy some time with their families at no cost to them. In April, we teamed up with Piedmont Church and provided the men and women of law enforcement in Cobb the opportunity to get out and enjoy a movie and concessions with their families. We reserved a theater at the NCG Acworth and gave away free tickets to come see "Godzilla vs Kong". Then in June, thanks to the support of the Cobb EMC Community Foundation, we were able to provide an event we aptly named "Blue Under the Moon". A large screen movie night at the Cobb Public Safety Village where families of law enforcement were able to watch from their cars, or set up their own space in the parking lot with chairs and blankets. We showed the Disney Pixar movie "Onward" and set up an awesome concessions stand complete with grilled burgers, hot dogs, chips and drinks, popcorn, snacks and even a Kona Ice truck. Publix on Cobb Parkway and Jiles Road in Kennesaw provided the burgers and dogs and even brought out a number of volunteers to help pull this event together!
We'd like to offer our heartfelt "thanks" to Piedmont Church in Marietta and their "Love Does" program, the folks at Publix on Cobb Parkway in Kennesaw, and the Cobb EMC Community Foundation for their continued support. Without these sponsors, we wouldn't be able to do all the things we do to support our officers.
We'd like to offer our heartfelt "thanks" to Piedmont Church in Marietta and their "Love Does" program, the folks at Publix on Cobb Parkway in Kennesaw, and the Cobb EMC Community Foundation for their continued support. Without these sponsors, we wouldn't be able to do all the things we do to support our officers.
Partnering with the Community
It is always a thrill when a club, church, school or group of citizens ask about partnering with us on a project. We love working with others to express support to our law enforcement officers through joint projects and welcome the opportunity at any time throughout the year. In February 2021, the St Catherine of Siena Catholic School contacted us about how they might express their appreciation and support to the local police departments in their district. Students worked to create cards and other artwork that was delivered to the Cobb County Police precinct 1 and Kennesaw PD. We were honored to be a part.
Covid-19 Pandemic
Never before has this country ever known anything like what we are facing with the Covid-19 world-wide pandemic. While citizens were ordered to shelter in place all across the nation, our first responders continued their work, risking not only their own health but that of the families and loved ones they return home to each night. Firefighters/EMS, police officers, deputies, and 911 call center operators continue to serve and protect their communities in spite of the dangers. When PPE (personal protective equipment) such as face masks and hand sanitizer became harder to acquire and shortages began to take place, we managed to find resources through which to purchase and have been able to distribute nearly 5,000 masks and 1100 bottles of hand sanitizer. To show support for these heroes, we have been providing meals and will soon reach 1,000 meals delivered, with many more still to go. Thanks to donations received, we have been able to do these things, and we pray that the community will continue to support our first responders by continuing to fund our work. Many thanks to the men and women who have been working tirelessly to help protect others, and thank you to our donors for making our work possible. We'd also like to extend a big "thank you" to the local owned restaurants who have been preparing and in many cases, delivering these meals.
Never Forget the Sheriff's Deputies!
We wish to extend our gratitude to the Cobb County Sheriff's Deputies who work around the clock at the Cobb County Adult Detention Facility. While we are peacefully asleep in our beds each night, these deputies are ensuring criminals are kept safely locked behind bars and away from the general population where they can commit more crimes on innocent citizens. Every level of criminal imaginable is detained there and the deputies who are tasked with the responsibility of detaining them have their hands full. Never underestimate the dangers and the challenges these men and women face. While officers on the road are dealing with potential criminals in the mix of citizens they see every day, these deputies are faced with nothing but the criminals and without the self protection carried by officers on the street patrols. When inmates choose to attack, as they quite often do, most of these deputies have only their hands and a small can of pepper spray with which to defend themselves. Never forget what they do. Never underestimate their strength, commitment, and the challenges they face. While we may see officers on the road patrolling our neighborhoods and feel grateful that they are around to keep us safe, we must also remember that the silent guardians who are at the Cobb County Adult Detention Facility are keeping us safe, as well.
Blue Thanksgiving delivered dinner to two of the shifts working on July 4th and July 24th and a delivery of baked goods was delivered another day in addition, thanks to the generous donation made by Publix of Kennesaw.
Blue Thanksgiving delivered dinner to two of the shifts working on July 4th and July 24th and a delivery of baked goods was delivered another day in addition, thanks to the generous donation made by Publix of Kennesaw.
Project "Blue Thanksgiving"
While so many families around the country are preparing for a day spent with family and friends, enjoying a lovingly prepared meal and the countless football games that will surely follow, thousands of law enforcement officers will be working to protect our communities.
For officers working on Thanksgiving, the fact that family and domestic partner violence typically increases 22% on this day is no surprise. There are increased calls as family members who normally manage to avoid each other throughout the year, get into more than just heated arguments not to mention custody disputes between divorced or estranged parents. Add alcohol and passionate football rivalries to the mix, and officers have their hands full. Later in the evening, the crush of “Black Friday” shopping begins with many retailers opening their doors to large crowds vying for limited “door buster” specials and the potential for disorder increases dramatically.
The emotional toll of working Thanksgiving can be substantial for an officer and his or her family. Many officers feel like they are disappointing children, spouses, other family members, as well as themselves. Additionally, because the holidays are a time for reflection, officers, like anyone else, are susceptible to feelings of melancholy.
Anyone that has an emergency has access to help because of these men and women who give selflessly of themselves for less pay than most fast food managers. While serving as a police officer does come with its personal rewards, the dangers and lack of respect or appreciation shown by so many as of late, are extreme. These officers have families; they are our sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers. They are heroes and they have earned our gratitude.
Every year we bring together businesses and individuals to show our support at Thanksgiving, by bringing in a traditional style Thanksgiving dinner to as many precincts as we possibly can, to show our support and gratitude. Although Thanksgiving is our biggest event of the year, we also encourage other random acts of kindness from the community throughout the year, in addition to the deliveries of food and other gifts we provide.
We are constantly looking for volunteers and donors to help keep our work alive and growing. Please contact us if you would like to join us and be a part of something wonderful.
For officers working on Thanksgiving, the fact that family and domestic partner violence typically increases 22% on this day is no surprise. There are increased calls as family members who normally manage to avoid each other throughout the year, get into more than just heated arguments not to mention custody disputes between divorced or estranged parents. Add alcohol and passionate football rivalries to the mix, and officers have their hands full. Later in the evening, the crush of “Black Friday” shopping begins with many retailers opening their doors to large crowds vying for limited “door buster” specials and the potential for disorder increases dramatically.
The emotional toll of working Thanksgiving can be substantial for an officer and his or her family. Many officers feel like they are disappointing children, spouses, other family members, as well as themselves. Additionally, because the holidays are a time for reflection, officers, like anyone else, are susceptible to feelings of melancholy.
Anyone that has an emergency has access to help because of these men and women who give selflessly of themselves for less pay than most fast food managers. While serving as a police officer does come with its personal rewards, the dangers and lack of respect or appreciation shown by so many as of late, are extreme. These officers have families; they are our sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers. They are heroes and they have earned our gratitude.
Every year we bring together businesses and individuals to show our support at Thanksgiving, by bringing in a traditional style Thanksgiving dinner to as many precincts as we possibly can, to show our support and gratitude. Although Thanksgiving is our biggest event of the year, we also encourage other random acts of kindness from the community throughout the year, in addition to the deliveries of food and other gifts we provide.
We are constantly looking for volunteers and donors to help keep our work alive and growing. Please contact us if you would like to join us and be a part of something wonderful.
"Cobb in Crisis"
In March of 2019, we became aware of the crisis within Cobb county's public safety. We learned that officers within Cobb PD, deputies with the Sheriff's department and firefighters were leaving our county in alarming numbers and headed to other agencies for better pay and benefits. This mass exodus of officers has left our police and sheriff's departments grossly understaffed, resulting in dangerous situations both on the road and for deputies at the jail. Officers are answering calls without backup, beats are going without police coverage, and deputies in the jail are forced to contain and manage massive numbers of inmates without backup. Our LEO's are being forced to work mandatory overtime, and many are expected to be on call 24/7. Upon investigating, it was discovered the the Fraternal Order of Police, Steve Gaynor had been in front of county commissioners for several months warning them of the situation and his pleas had fallen on deaf ears. For years, our sworn officers in Cobb have been told "Good things are coming" only to learn they were not going to see raises in pay that would even meet cost of living. We immediately became involved, printing fliers and joining forces with Mr Gaynor and a small group of others to raise public awareness. Blue Thanksgiving's social media sites were instrumental in getting information out and conversation started within the community about this issue. Atlanta media was contacted and we were instrumental in helping to get information out to not only Cobb county, but surrounding counties. Fifteen out of sixteen town hall meetings, held by the Chairman of the Board of Commissioners was attended and together with citizen, Susan Hampton we informed citizens of the crisis. At this point in time, we have addressed the Cobb Board of Commissioners at two meetings, filled the meeting room and overflow rooms to capacity and raised awareness of this situation. "Blue Thanksgiving, Inc" is a non-partisan organization We have taken a stand against politicians in any party who choose to ignore the needs of our law enforcement, and will continue to inform citizens of this county of the situation. At this time, we are actively involved in this project and hope that with continued efforts we will finally succeed and force the Cobb county board of commissioners to improve and provide pay and benefits to our uniformed officers that will encourage retention and recruitment of new officers. Please see our Facebook and Instagram pages for continued updates on this project.
Holidays
While we are at home with our families on major holidays, remember those who serve and are working to protect our communities. Blue Thanksgiving Inc. strives to provide holiday meals, assistance and public support to as many agencies
in Cobb County as we can during the holiday season.
To find out how you can help, contact us at [email protected] or donate on our website to help fund our holiday efforts.
in Cobb County as we can during the holiday season.
To find out how you can help, contact us at [email protected] or donate on our website to help fund our holiday efforts.
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Luncheons and Special Events
Whether it's providing a cake for a retirement party, a photo booth for an award ceremony, special treats for officers at Christmas, Holiday meals and appreciation cookouts, Officer movie events, recognition of those who support our officers, or lunch for the Elder Abuse Task Force, we stay busy bringing community and donors together to provide whatever we can to show our local officers that they have a strong support system and that they are greatly appreciated by many.
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