The program, titled “Cops and Gobblers,” enters its third year of providing hundreds of Rosewind Apartments residents with free Thanksgiving meals

The spirit of giving was in the air as Columbus police partnered with a local nonprofit group to distribute free Thanksgiving meals Wednesday to hundreds of residents of a South Linden apartment complex.

The program, titled “Cops and Gobblers,” is entering its third year of providing meals to Rosewind Apartments residents and is a partnership between Columbus police and the Starfish Assignment, a nonprofit that works with law enforcement officers to identify needs in the areas they serve.

Columbus officer Michael Daymut, one of the officers in the precinct who founded the program, said he noticed the need in Rosewind and decided to try and make a difference with Starfish Assignment.

“It’s the spirit of the holidays, giving and seeing a smile on somebody’s face even for just a few minutes makes it all worthwhile,” Daymut said.

Dozens of police officers and volunteers gathered at Douglas Community Center in the brisk November air to pack more than 200 bags with frozen turkeys and side dishes. They then went door-to-door in Rosewind Apartments in South Linden, distributing the meals to the families.

Source: Hundreds in South Linden receive free Thanksgiving dinner from police, nonprofit