Essex County Sheriffs Hold Thanksgiving Turkey Giveaways

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Essex County’s longest-serving sheriff and its incoming sheriff-elect joined their local law enforcement peers to keep a long-running holiday tradition going for 2024: the sheriff’s office turkey giveaway.

The annual Thanksgiving food drive saw participation from Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura, who is retiring after decades of service. This year’s campaign also got a boost from Amir Jones, who will replace Fontoura.

During the drive, officers with the department loaded vehicles and delivered hundreds of turkeys and holiday meals with all the trimmings to local churches, pantries, schools, women’s shelters and homeless shelters throughout the county.

Officers also stocked the shelves of the food pantries at St. John’s Soup Kitchen, Sisters of Charity, the New Hope Baptist Church and Paradise Baptist Church, among others.

Fontoura – who has overseen the annual event for decades – called it a “labor of love.”

“I couldn’t be prouder of what our department has been able to accomplish with this food drive as we continue to help many families and soup kitchens in our community,” he said.

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