The United States Army

12/04/2025 | News release | Distributed by Public on 12/04/2025 12:48

Presidio of Monterey Chaplain-led Thanksgiving meal giveaway supports service members, families

[Link] A mother and child receive a Thanksgiving meal kit from Soldiers helping with the Nov. 20 Thanksgiving turkey meal giveaway at the General Stilwell Community Center.

(U.S. Army photo by Jennifer Leggett) (Photo Credit: Jennifer Leggett) VIEW ORIGINAL

PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, Calif. (Dec. 4, 2025) - Soldiers from the Presidio of Monterey handed out 120 Thanksgiving meal kits to service members, civilians and families during a chaplain-led giveaway Nov. 20 in front of the General Stilwell Community Center.

[Link] Sgt. Brian Bills loads a Thanksgiving meal kit into a community member's vehicle during the annual chaplain-led Thanksgiving turkey meal giveaway, Nov. 20. The event provided 120 complete Thanksgiving dinners to service members, civilians and families.

(U.S. Army photo by Jennifer Leggett) (Photo Credit: Jennifer Leggett) VIEW ORIGINAL

The effort, coordinated by Sgt. Brian Bills, was funded through tithes and offerings from the PoM's chapel services and assembled in partnership with the Ord Military Community Commissary.

Each meal kit included a frozen turkey, boxed stuffing, canned vegetables, cranberry sauce, gravy and a five-pound bag of potatoes-ingredients for a complete holiday dinner.

Bills said the program has grown steadily during his two years at the PoM. "Last year we were able to give out 100 meals; this year we reached 120," he said. "The goal is simply to ease a little bit of the holiday burden for anyone who could use the help."

[Link] Soldiers gather around the grocery-ladened tables at the Thanksgiving turkey meal giveaway site Nov. 20 at the General Stilwell Community Center. The team distributed 120 turkeys and meal kits funded through chapel tithes and offerings.

(U.S. Army photo by Jennifer Leggett) (Photo Credit: Jennifer Leggett) VIEW ORIGINAL

Although the Religious Support Office initially limited distribution to Soldiers, Bills said the team expanded eligibility this year to include all service members and civilians, especially those affected by the recent government furlough.

"We opened it up because we wanted to support everyone, including recently furloughed employees and families who might be feeling the strain," Bills said.

Unit ministry teams managed in-person sign-ups for the giveaway, while the RSO coordinated email outreach to reach students at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center.

Some recipients used the meals to host others who might otherwise spent the holiday alone. One Soldier, Bills said, organized a Friendsgiving for 20 DLIFLC classmates.

Bills, who is departing the installation this month, said the event is a fitting final project. "This is my last hurrah," he said. "It's been an honor to help make the holidays a little brighter for our community."

Programs like this embody the installation's commitment to taking care of people-both single service members and families-throughout the year. To learn more about the Religious Support Office visit https://home.army.mil/monterey/my-fort/all-services/chaplains-1

The United States Army published this content on December 04, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on December 04, 2025 at 18:48 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]