As the holiday season kicks into high gear, an area foundation and church have continued to give generously to ensure that area veterans and their families can enjoy a delicious holiday meal this Thanksgiving.For many years, First United Methodist Church of Sarasota has donated turkeys and boxes of sides to be given to veterans served by Goodwill Manasota's Veterans Services program. Thanks to additional funds from the Gail Baird Foundation, the number of turkeys – along with boxes containing sides, a roasting pan, and some extra food for later – to be distributed this year will jump from 100 in 2023 to 300 this year. The food will be distributed to area veterans during the Turkeys for Troops Giveaway & Resource Fair at Goodwill’s Corporate Campus (2705 51st Ave. E., Bradenton) on Tuesday, November 26, from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. All area veterans are welcome to attend. Additionally, the Resource Fair will feature representatives from organizations dedicated to supporting veterans and their families, such as Veterans Affairs, the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs, SRQ Vets, Veterans Affairs Law, and many others. This is the second year that the Gail Baird Foundation has contributed funds toward the turkey giveaway. Goodwill’s Veterans Services program works to help eliminate barriers to employment, provide opportunities for higher-paying positions for veterans and their families, and connect veterans with needed social services. It also offers networking opportunities and emergency financial assistance – which is particularly important as already at-risk veterans continue to face challenges related to higher costs of living and the recent hurricanes. For more about Goodwill’s Veterans Services program, visit experiencegoodwill.org.