by Sis. S. Danielle Benjamin

Woodbridge, Va. – "This is meeting a need," said one local man, Mr. Washington, of the free turkey and canned goods he received at the Holiness Tabernacle Church Of God In Christ (HTC) annual Free Turkey Giveaway on Saturday, November 19 "I didn’t know how I was going to put food on my table this week."

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That was the sentiment expressed by many who came through the doors as more than 400 turkeys and several bags filled with stuffing, green beans, cranberry sauce and other trimmings were distributed to individuals and families living in Woodbridge and surrounding areas.

"This is going to be a big help," said another woman as she carried a big turkey out the door to her car. "My co-workers asked me if I needed a turkey for Thanksgiving and told me about the church. God bless you!"

A divinely ordered effort

For the members of HTC, it was all hands on deck as parishioners arrived early in the morning to purchase the turkeys and set the tables. "This is my first time helping," said Brother Matthew Abney, a new member, with obvious enthusiasm. "It is inspiring to help people in the neighborhood."

Nearly an hour before the doors opened at 10 a.m., a line of people representing every age, ethnicity and color waited patiently for access into the church. Before getting started, however, Pastor Eddie B Pruitte, Jr., founder of the church, opened the day with a word of prayer. "We thank you for the provisions you’ve made for us today,” he declared as people held hands and bent heads in silent worship. It was truly a time of thanksgiving and a reminder of God’s blessings.

The quiet interlude lasted only a few moments then quickly erupted into a flurry of activity as everyone pitched in to distribute food and clothes.

"How am I going to take all of this food home?" joked one young man as he was handed a bag of canned goods to go along with his turkey.

"We appreciate what you’re doing," said Delilah in Spanish, her young daughter translating. "We’re going to have a good Thanksgiving. God bless you!"

Everyone that came received a turkey with no questions asked – they were only offered a simple questionnaire to help the church better understand how to meet needs. When asked why they were giving so much, the answer proved rather simple.

"We believe God has called us to be a help to our community," said Pastor Pruitte. "This is our third year giving away free turkeys, and through our partnership with the Capital Area Food Bank, we have a monthly food distribution that helps many families throughout the year."

Working together to make a big impact

Though spearheading the effort, HTC wasn’t alone that Saturday morning. In a phenomenal cooperative effort, the church reached out to the Capital Area Food Bank, local officials and major businesses, inviting them to participate.

"Pastor Pruitte is doing a lot on outreach and our office is always happy to help out however we can," said Ed Cronin, Assistant to Michael May, Vice Chairman of the Board of County Supervisors for Prince William County, who was also on site.

Other representatives included Johnnie Dunlap, Outreach Coordinator of the Capital Area Food Bank and William James, Lake Ridge Branch Manager and Assistant Vice President of Virginia Commerce Bank.

"We want to thank the Dumfries Wal-mart for all of the bags of food they donated," said First Lady Vivian Pruitte before turning to greet visitors, moving effortlessly between English and Spanish. The church purchased more than 400 turkeys from the Wal-mart in Dumfries, which donated enough food items to fill a large 15-passenger van.

Even officers from the county sheriff’s department were on hand to help direct the flow of traffic as visitors drove in and out of the church parking lot. "It’s the least we can do," said Deputy Willie Hardeman.

Heartfelt gratitude and thanksgiving

"A friend who came earlier told me that the church was giving away free turkeys," said one man, Juan. "My three kids and wife will be so happy!"

"Wow! This is going to be a great help," said another man. "Thank you!"

All morning long and lasting well into the early afternoon, "Thank you!" and "God bless you!" echoed throughout the sanctuary and reverberated in the fellowship hall.

"I just love this!" exclaimed Mother Freda Benjamin as she guided visitors to their food items. “It is so wonderful to help and see the expression of appreciation on people’s faces. It just does something to your heart.”

Even the youth came out to help – including several young men who carried turkeys and bags of groceries to people’s cars. “It was a lot of hard work,” said Brother Jay Norman, a teenager at the church. “But we’re a church and it’s the right thing to do.”

As the line of people grew, so did the stories of obvious gratitude. And the giving spirit was contagious as some people, including one man named Virgil, came not for themselves, but for others in need. “I’m actually getting the turkey to help an older woman whose trailer was affected by the flooding. This will help her.”

“I just happened to drive by,” said one young lady, Sydney. “There’s a lot of people in need. A lot of people are without jobs.”

“I heard about the turkey giveaway in the Potomac News,” said an older female. “We recently lost the breadwinner in our family…” And without going into further detail, it was clear that the generosity of the church was meeting more than just a physical need.

A job well done

“I was surprised that so many turkeys were distributed so quickly. It seemed like the word really got out this year,” said Sister Daelena Paxton when it was all said and done.

In less than four hours, all of the food was distributed and the “Free Turkeys” banner hanging in front of the church was removed. Looking around at the empty tables, it was clear that the day’s event had been very successful.

“We’re doing what the Word says,” said Elder George Green, referencing the familiar passage in Matthew 25. ‘For I was hungry and you fed me. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was naked and you gave me clothing.’”

One of the hallmarks of the church is to look outward and discover ways to assist others. With its mission to serve the community in both spiritual and physical ways, HTC has found the ingredient needed to produce tangible results in the lives of so many. 

“Yes, this will be a big help for us,” remarked two women, Deloris and Patricia, as they walked out the door. “Last year we came and we came again this year.”

And from the looks of things, the Holiness Tabernacle Free Turkey Giveaway will continue to expand as it has over the past three years, helping out more families and meeting more needs.