It’s not something Shantelle Maze was expecting or flood victim Jason Smith. Their families are just two of more than 100 who received a Thanksgiving meal with all the fixings, including turkey, stuffing, some vegetables and candied yams from Bayou Cafe. This is all part of the Baton Rouge Police Department’s annual Adopt-A-Family Giveaway.
“It humbles you, and it makes you thankful for everything that you do have. You know, we go through our day-to-day lives thinking this is a problem. That is a problem, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s really not a problem. Things could always be a lot worse, and this is a way for us to give back and to spread a little joy,” said Baton Rouge Police Chief Carl Dabadie.
“I had been doing it for years prior, and I was doing it on an individual basis. Just the way that we were brought up, when you saw someone in need, you reached out and you did what you could to help them,” said Baton Rouge Police Sgt. Myron Daniels.
Sgt. Daniels started this outreach, and he said this year has been a tough one for the community, but the turnout for this event is the biggest yet.
“Sometimes, it takes a negative thing to bring the community together, and the community truly stepped up, and you see it. This was one of the first years I had people calling me, not for assistance, but to assist, and that by itself shows that Baton Rouge is truly united,” concluded Sgt. Daniels.
This is BRPD’s 6th year doing this giveaway. Organizations including the Magnolia State Peace Officers Association, NOBLE, and various Greek chapters helped out to spread some joy this holiday season.