While Thanksgiving looked very different for many families in 2020, one thing remained the same - the Tunica County Sheriff, K.C. Hamp, Sr. partnered with local casinos to be able to provide turkeys to the elderly in Tunica County. Thanks to generous donations from Fitz Casino Tunica and Gold Strike Casino Resort Tunica, Tunica County Sheriff's Office was able to help hundreds of local seniors by providing the centerpiece of a Thanksgiving meal - a turkey. Senior citizens do not typically get the respect they once used to. They tend to go forgotten or unseen in the current climate we live in. This tradition is an act to give gratitude to the elders in our families and communities. We owe them so much gratitude, and this is one way the Sheriff is committed to doing so. Their kind donations allowed us to help out in our community during these uncertain times caused by the global pandemic, as well as bless their Thanksgivings.

For years, the Tunica County Sheriff's Office has been fortunate enough to have Sam's Town Hotel and Gambling Hall Tunica host its annual TRIAD Thanksgiving Luncheon. Senior citizens have loved the opportunity to visit their property and enjoy a luncheon. The generosity has touched and blessed the lives of thousands of seniors throughout the years. COVID-19 can affect people of all ages, but it is older adults and those with serious health conditions that find themselves the most vulnerable. We regrettably had to refrain from joining together to uphold this tradition this year, in order to protect our senior community. It was important to us to continue to partner with Sam's Town to make a difference during the Thanksgiving Holiday. In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, Sam's Town Hotel & Gambling Hall provided our Office with hot meals that consisted of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner boxed in to-go boxes. We were able to deliver the meals directly to homes in our community to ensure they could still enjoy all the fixings, despite our being apart this year.

While COVID-19 has forced many businesses to close and caused many to lose their jobs, the ranks of those requiring food assistance have swelled in our community. In addition to distributing turkeys, the Sheriff's Office continued its monthly partnership with Glover's Grove Missionary Baptist Church, North MS Edu. Convention, and the Mid-South Food Bank to serve 1,000 families in need leading up to the Thanksgiving Holiday. This distribution was held at the Paul Battle Arena. The mobile food pantry gave individuals an assortment of meats, fresh vegetables, dry goods, juices, and other frozen foods.

Lastly, the Sheriff's Office distributed 1,200 boxes of dairy, produce, and chicken to families in need to families on the eve of Thanksgiving. These boxes are provided to the Sheriff's Office from Friends of the Sheriff through the USDA's Farmers to Families program. We are fortunate to work with the wonderful team at M Palazola Produce. Their team was able to produce a shipment for us and worked hard to ensure it was delivered directly to us, after encountering maintenance issues with a delivery truck. These are a few ways we were able to try and do our part to help families in need. We hope that everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving. It is our hope that we can continue working together t eliminate food insecurity and help those in need.