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Home > Desert Oracle Radio > Morongo Valley’s Operation Gobble Gobble Thanksgiving dinner giveaway was an unprecedented success
Podcast: Desert Oracle Radio
Episode:

Morongo Valley’s Operation Gobble Gobble Thanksgiving dinner giveaway was an unprecedented success
Category: Society & Culture
Duration: 00:00:00
Publish Date: 2025-11-29 16:18:26
Description:

On Saturday, November 22, the Morongo Valley Community Services District and Fire Department partnered once again with Golden State Water Company for Operation Gobble Gobble. While the event is decades running, last Saturday’s operation was the most successful yet.

With help from local volunteers, including the Morongo Valley Fire Department, the Morongo Youth Softball League, and Directors of the Community Services District, General Manager Brittany Chavez said this year’s operation was able to take care of the whole massive sign-up list as well as the reserve list. While the operation already had approximately ninety turkeys, Yucca Valley’s Grocery Outlet donated 30-40 turkeys at the last minute, allowing the operation to take care of Morongo residents in need who weren’t able to leave their homes. Morongo Youth Softball League coach Buddy Stogner drove from house to house, delivering full turkey dinners to those who would have otherwise gone without. 

I asked Chavez how this massive amount of food was gathered:

“Golden State Water Company donated $912.00 and then the Morongo Valley Cookie Company donated $900. Inspire Realty donated another $500, and then the martial arts group donated $100, so with all of that we ended up purchasing ninety turkeys and then Grocery Outlet donated the rest of the forty,” said Chavez.

In addition, Chavez said this year they held a canned food drive, which nearly overwhelmed the district offices with donations. 

“It was insane! I walked in here on Thursday and I was like, “Oh my gosh!” You couldn’t walk through anything! Stater Brothers donated bags to us so all of Thursday we were in here just bagging, trying to create meals for people. On top of that we spent the leftover money on canned goods, boxes of stuffing, little bags of potatoes and any canned vegetables and whatnot. We ended up making over 200 bags so 200 families essentially got fed,” said Chavez.

While Operation Gobble Gobble has been going strong in Morongo Valley for around fifteen years, Chavez said the outreach is not limited to Morongo Valley residents. She said one family even showed up by bus, and they sent them off with two full bags of Thanksgiving dinner for their long voyage home.

MVCSD General Manager Brittany Chavez (third from left) with members of Morongo Valley Fire Department and turkey recipients

The post Morongo Valley’s Operation Gobble Gobble Thanksgiving dinner giveaway was an unprecedented success appeared first on Z107.7 FM Joshua Tree.
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