The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
More than a dozen families in the township and a neighboring town will have a happy Thanksgiving this year, thanks to a local church and the FTPD PBA.
Members of True 2 Life Ministries and representatives of Franklin Township Police PBA Local 154 traveled throughout the eight villages and into South Bound Brook to deliver complete Thanksgiving dinners: turkeys, stuffing and the trimmings.
The reactions to the gifts were summarized by one recipient, Jared Grant, who simply said, “That’s a blessing.”
Pastor Thomas Lewis of True 2 Life said this was the third year his church partnered with the PBA for the program, known as Adopt a Family for Thanksgiving.
“Each year it has grown,” he said. “It’s been a blessing.”
He said donations come from church members and visitors, while the PBA donates the turkeys.
“I get excited about this time,” he said. “This is our big time of year, right after our back to school bash and community day. We now are in our adopt a family mode.”
“You adopt a family that’s in need,” he said. He said the families who are chosen are nominated by church members.
“Probably next year we’ll open it up to the community,” Pastor Lewis said. “We’ll get whatever we can to help them out.”
Det. Ken Daly, the department’s state PBA delegate, said the program was “just another opportunity to give back to the community, let them know that we’re friends, they shouldn’t be scared.”
“They open their doors to us, we show that we’re here to help everybody,” he said. “We extend the mission of the PBA by giving back.”
Once Thanksgiving is over, it will be time for Adopt a Family for Christmas, and more turkey dinners to be donated to families in need, Pastor Lewis said. He said donations for that could be brought to the church at 155 Pierce Street, Suite F, in Somerset.
