Carlos Arredondo Helps Military Families Out This Thanksgiving
NORWOOD (CBS) -- Volunteers for the Arredondo Foundation were busy stuffing bags with Thanksgiving Day fixings Sunday.
Boston Marathon bombing hero Carlos Arredondo took part in his third annual turkey giveaway to provide full meals to military families across the state.
Arredondo says he enjoys serving these families.
"When you provide a small token for this military families they are very happy to receive it," Arredondo said.
Dayanara Bacerra lost her husband Jose to suicide in 2014 having just joined the military.
"It's important because it's a time where the girls are looking forward to being with family and missing their father," Bacerra said.
On Sunday, Arredondo teamed up with Ernie Boch Jr. at Subaru of New England in Norwood to help families like 18-year-old Alexander Zayas. His father died 11 years ago.
Zayas was there to both pick up a turkey and to volunteer at the event.
"To see all the people come in to collect their turkeys it also fills me up with joy," Zayas said.
"I've met some gold star families and blue star family members and it just so heart-wrenching and it's difficult. So this is cool event, turkeys on the tables and can't beat it," Ernie Boch Jr. said.
At the Reggie Lewis Center, you can clearly see the need is great.
The Tito Jackson Turkey Giveaway there distributed 2,0500 turkeys to families.
"We start at 12 [p.m] and people got here at 7:30 [a.m.] and it was raining and it was cold and so it speaks to the need that is there," Jackson said.
Jamila King is very thankful for her bird.
"Him doing is a life savior. To a lot of people it may not mean much but to my family, it means everything," King said.
