Caring for Communities Nationwide With Operation Turkey
For the last quarter of a century, Operation Turkey has provided for families and people on Thanksgiving Day.
“The core operation of Operation Turkey, our job – our volunteer job – is to prepare, package, and deliver meals Thanksgiving Day.”
The 24-year strong, 100% volunteer organization is made up of over 50,000 (and growing!) unpaid volunteers working together across the country to make sure folks in need across their communities have a warm meal from a friendly face on Thanksgiving Day.
In 2019, Operation Turkey served over 62,000 meals across 7 states. During the key years of COVID-19, Operation Turkey was able to serve more than 75,000 meals across 2020 and 2021.
In 2023, they served 62,000 meals — with a little help from Sysco.
At Sysco LABS, we build the ecommerce platforms Sysco customers like Operation Turkey use to shop for their ingredients online. Every day, we strive to push the food away from home industry forward through technology. We’re always curious to learn from the most innovative – and meaningful – experiences about what helps them succeed.
We sat down with Operation Turkey Executive Director Brian Tolbert – a veteran of the US Navy, former high school volunteer firefighter, and, in his day job, a provider of tools that help kids graduate college – to talk about how passion, dedication, and “never turning away a volunteer” nets major impacts on peoples’ lives every year, nationwide.
Giving Help Where It’s Needed
Brian Tolbert, Executive Director and Chairman, alongside Kevin Grogan, Director of Sponsorships.
“We’re so dynamic, and our volunteers are champing at the bit to do something,… we’ve got great help.”
On Thanksgiving Day, 2000, Richard Bagdonas had a good amount of leftovers. Instead of just throwing them in the fridge, he wanted to do something special with them.
“On his way driving home, said that he wanted to do something else with that food, and he wanted to give it to someone that was a little bit less fortunate than he was. So he drove down Sixth Street [in Austin, TX], found a guy in front of the old Buffalo Billiards, and then he was going to give a guy the plate. He wouldn't respond. There was another man sitting next to him, and the guy said ‘if you leave the plate there, I'll make sure he gets it’ — and that was pretty much where we got the purpose of the operation.”
“Richard went back to his car and said, ‘I want to do more.’” And that’s how Operation Turkey was born.
“Next year. He served two meals. The next year, four meals, and kept multiplying/doubling over the next several years, and jumped up to 800 meals. Got up to about it was 4000 meals in 2010.
And in 2010 – Richard is an entrepreneur and is always looking for more and more ways to give back – he was looking for someone to take Operation Turkey and really run with it.
He took me out to dinner – got a couple drinks in me – and asked me if I would take it over.
When he asked me that question, it took me back to when I was a kid—
I grew in Bastrop, Texas, and my family was always growing our own garden, hunted, fished. Anything we could do to take care of our unusually large family.
When we would cook, we always cooked to make food. And as a child, I used to have to walk the dirt roads and railroad tracks in Bastrop and go deliver these meals to people in the community.
I thought about that flashback to that, and looked at him for a second and told him, “I'll take Operation Turkey.’”
After their dinner in 2010, Brian Tolbert took over Operation Turkey from Richard Bagdonas.
“I said ‘as long as you can promise me that you’ll always be a part of it, then I’ll do it.’”
And in 2011 they grew — and continued to keep helping and growing.
“The very next year I got a phone call from a gentleman in San Marcos – 30 days before Thanksgiving – who said he wanted to start the Operation there.
I said ‘let’s do it.’”
From Austin, TX to nearby neighbor San Marcos. Soon after they were in Dallas. Then Houston. Then Colorado Springs, CO — and, suddenly, they were nationwide.
Coming to the Table With Sysco
“With the passion and dedication of our volunteers… and because we have great help from Sysco to make things happen in a pinch — we’re successful.”
With such incredible, inspiring growth comes the opportunity to serve more people and make a powerful, lasting impact — but that doesn’t mean there aren’t challenges.
“We’ve been doing this for 25 years, and we’ve gone through different avenues to get the food we need for Thanksgiving Day. We’ve literally gone to [grocery stores and big box stores] and bought turkeys. We’ve dealt with some food distributors here and there…”
“Last year (2023), getting back up to full speed after COVID, we were trying to looking into utilizing food distributors. We had gotten set up with a food vendor, built the relationship, the account executive knew everything we needed.”
From coordination and communication across the country and scaling to expand service to growing communities, to adjusting to evolving needs and norms during and post-pandemic, the 100% unpaid volunteer Operation Turkey takes the power of partnership to pull off year after year.
“We built out the expectations and orders, and, when push was coming to shove after everything was done, it’s day-of, game time, I start getting calls from different OT city leaders asking, ‘Hey, where’s my person?’
I’m sitting here in Austin waiting for my load of turkeys even here in Austin and — nothing.”
I talked to an executive at the distributor about 4:58 p.m. on Friday, one week before Thanksgiving, who said we won’t get anything. I need about 70,000 meals to serve next week.
You can imagine the heart drop. They tried to explain themselves. I wasn’t interested in hearing.”
“I’ve got to go find some food.”
Sysco’s worldwide presence means we’re able to operate at an incredible breadth and depth as an organization — but our greatest strength comes from our people.
The individuals that make up our business are driven, compassionate colleagues, each united under our shared purpose of connecting the world to share food and care for one another.
If that sounds like exactly what Operation Turkey is doing, you wouldn’t be wrong in thinking our own people were already involved.
“So, some good friends of mine happened to be working at Sysco — a long time friend of mine and big help to and proponent of Operation Turkey.”
“I make one phone call saying, ‘Hey, I need a lot of turkeys.” She says “Let me make a call.’
“A few minutes later, I hear back — ‘We’re going to do what we can to get the food you need.’”
“I started working with a Sysco Representative that Friday night, and all through the weekend, and we had food starting to be delivered to the different locations starting that Monday.
In the end, we got all the food we needed for the state of Texas.
Outside of Texas was more of a challenge — but dealing with a couple of sites and individuals with all of Texas taken care of meant we were able to pull together and still provide for people nationwide in 2023.”
There’s no way it would have gotten done – or maybe it could’ve been done with a whole lot more blood, sweat and tears…”
Serving Communities Far and Wide
“I get the support I need from Sysco to get things done.”
Today, Operation Turkey is gearing up to serve over 75000 meals to 28 cities across 8 states — and Sysco’s dedicated colleagues have been focused on making sure Operation Turkey is empowered to continue their inspiring success.
“Because of Sysco – and Sysco’s willingness to give us a helping hand… we were able to provide all the meals we needed to provide.”
So, obviously, this year, we’re working with Sysco.”
“If we had to stick to a track, or some process because of all the rules and everything else, it’s highly likely we’d fail. But with the passion and dedication of our volunteers, and because we’re so dynamic and everyone is champing at the bit to do something – and because we have great help from Sysco to make things happen in a pinch – we’re successful.”
In addition to the passion and dedication that this mission is bringing to our people, our tools and talent are also making sure Operation Turkey is in position to make a difference in 2024.
“I definitely get on Sysco Shop…”
“…and it’s a big help being able to check prices, check availability, start planning throughout the year – and I’ve used Sysco Pay for invoices and all those logistical needs. I usually need a little help but I get the support that I need.“
“Sysco, like I said, makes this monumental task, easy.”
And, when it comes to setting each other up for success this year, Sysco works along Brian and Operation Turkey to come together, uncover each other’s needs, and make things happen.
“We sat down and I lay it out for everybody. And, of course, I ask for the world when I lay it out.
And I’ll be damned if they didn’t say:”
“We understand what you’re asking for, and we’re going to do every single bit to make sure we can make that happen.”
“That’s what I’m talking about when it comes to business. Especially when we’re doing something like this. Nothing profitable. Other than karma, you know, everybody gets maximum karma point working with Operation Turkey.
…And, I love it, because it’s organized chaos. I try to make things as simple as possible: register to volunteer.“
“Donate some money for food. Spread the word.”
You can learn more about how you can make an impact – and bring a little light to the lives around you – at OperationTurkey.com.
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