Posted on Oct 08, 2019
Around 2011, Troy Rotary members, Mark Bucchi and Bob Waldron, began this program to reach into the Troy area for families who were deserving of a Thanksgiving turkey dinner. In the following 5 years, the program grew to about 20-25 families. In 2016, in addition to Troy Rotary’s usual sources for families, they reached out to some Oakland County agencies and raised the total number of to 30 families.
 
The goal for years has been to grow this service opportunity, and in 2018 Troy, Birmingham, Sterling Heights, and West Bloomfield Rotary Clubs teamed up to increase the number of families we could serve!
Around 2011, Troy Rotary members, Mark Bucchi and Bob Waldron, began this program to reach into the Troy area for families who were deserving of a Thanksgiving turkey dinner. In the following 5 years, the program grew to about 20-25 families. In 2016, in addition to Troy Rotary’s usual sources for families, they reached out to some Oakland County agencies and raised the total number of to 30 families.
 
The goal for years has been to grow this service opportunity, and in 2018 Troy, Birmingham, Sterling Heights, and West Bloomfield Rotary Clubs teamed up to increase the number of families we could serve!
 
Last year, more than 239 families received a Thanksgiving meal!
 
We would not have been able to do this without supporting agencies and our most supportive partner, Kroger.
 
2019 Goals & Expansion
The goal for 2019 is to raise funds and deliver to 300 families in the Oakland, Macomb and Washtenaw Counties. In order to do this, we’ve combined the efforts of multiple clubs with amazing commitments from each. These clubs include the Rotary Clubs of Troy, Birmingham, West Bloomfield, and Sterling Heights, Chelsea, Lake Orion, Utica Shelby, and Lakes Area.
 
This project is so great for many reasons!
1. Serving hundreds of families in Oakland, Macomb, and Washtenaw counties.
2. Working together with multiple clubs (which we hope to grow in future years!)
3. Community involvement: We have volunteers from community police and fire departments, local service organizations, teachers and students. As we move forward, we are hoping to get more community leaders and departments involved.
 
How families are chosen
Families are referred to the program by organizations that serve the underprivileged in their communities. No one agency can meet all the needs in their respective communities, so we work with many:
-Troy Police Department -works with social services to help families in need.
-Troy Union and Royal Oak and Oakland Elementary - families referred are on the federal lunch assistance program and/or crisis situation.
-Blessings in a Backpack -Blessings in a Backpack mobilizes communities, individuals and resources to provide food on the weekends for elementary school children across America who might otherwise go hungry.
-Troy People Concerned -Troy People Concerned (“TPC”) is an information and referral agency. We assist the Troy residents who find themselves in a crisis situation by providing referrals to area agencies or by directly providing financial or other assistance.
-Local churches
-CARE House -CARE House helps children recover from traumatic experiences each and every day. The CARE House aims to be a leading resource in the prevention of child abuse and neglect, and the protection of children through advocacy, education, intervention, research, training, and treatment, in collaboration with the community. All CARE House programs and services are provided at no cost to the thousands of children and families served each year.
-Christie Siegel - a mother in Royal Oak whose two children were killed in a roll-over accident 2012. Siegel started the Jordan and Ashely Scholarship Fund, which works in tandem with Royal Oak Youth Assistance to strengthen youth and families in the city.
-West Bloomfield School District counseling staff contacts families of students who meet established criteria for assistance. Information for families who agree to receive Thanksgiving meals is passed to Team Turkey for inclusion in the delivery program.
 
Organizing Clubs: 
- Birmingham
- Chelsea
- Lakes Area
- Lake Orion
- Troy
- Sterling Heights
- Utica Shelby
- West Bloomfield