BILLINGS— Billings-based nonprofit Warrior Wishes gathered more than 50 volunteers Saturday morning to prepare 900 Thanksgiving meal boxes for veterans, which they will give away Tuesday.
The meal boxes are a part of “Vetsgiving”, an 11-year-old tradition for the nonprofit.
Watch volunteers organize 900 meal boxes:
The tradition has grown throughout the years, starting at 75 boxes its first year. Organizing and transporting this year’s boxes will cost nearly $40,000 in total.
Each box will have enough food to feed four people, including a turkey, a pumpkin pie, a bag of potatoes, macaroni and cheese, rolls, cranberry sauce, a stuffing mix, green beans, corn and gravy.
Warrior Wishes Founder Miguel Gonzalez said many veterans are in need of this service every year.
“Sometimes you come back physically injured or you come back mentally injured. Either way, it's still a tough road to try to re-navigate the system of civilian life because there is a lot of difference,” said Gonzalez.
“At the end of the day we're all in this together and I think it's only proper fit for me to continue to help others,” he added.
Other nonprofit volunteers share the same sentiment.
“A lot of the veterans that volunteer with our organization went through troubles and strife themselves. Got to a place in their life where they were secure. Now we want to give back to those that are struggling that might be having difficulty,” said Warrior Wishes President Dave West.
Additional volunteers came from organizations such as Rollerz Only Car Club, Blessings and Backpacks, the ROTC from Lockwood Middle School and Lockwood High School and the Business Networking International Billings Chapter.
I'm glad it's nice and warm for us to do this. And I'm just here to enjoy it and give back,” said Rollerz Only Car Club Treasurer Mike Charles.
“We just try to lift up people and bless them because it's a blessing to be a blessing. That's why we bring together ourselves and we volunteer,” said Blessings and Backpacks Founder Richie Seymour.
Warrior Wishes also received discounts from Albertsons and U-Haul Moving & Storage in the Heights.
Veterans will be able to pick up the meal boxes on Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at six locations across Billings, Laurel, Hardin, Roundup and Red Lodge.
Click here for a list of pickup locations. Warrior Wishes has also added 105 Brewing at 815 Yellowstone River Rd in Billings, which does not appear on the linked list.
All veterans need to bring for a meal box is an ID verifying their military service.
