The Salvation Army of Northeast Florida welcomed back our FSCJ men's basketball team Friday afternoon to help with their final Thanksgiving preparations. After morning practice and study hall, the men's basketball team carpooled to downtown Jacksonville and unloaded, organized and packaged much of the Salvation Army's donated Thanksgiving food and supplies to ready for delivery day next week.

The men's basketball team help to unload over 400 turkeys from trucks and freezers that were being delivered. From there the turkeys were sorted alongside the rest of the Salvation Army's holiday food items. Items included canned goods, potatoes, mac-and-cheese and other holiday staples that were placed into distribution boxes. The pre-packaged boxes make for a smooth and organized delivery process for the Salvation Army and the recipient families in need all across Jacksonville and Duval County.

"Helping out in our community is something special, especially doing it with the team. It's been a great experience to help the people who are either in need or don't have the opportunity to spend Thanksgiving with their families," says freshman guard Diego Dionisio.  

The Salvation Army's impact is far and wide and is not possible without their passionate employees who organize these volunteer efforts. The FSCJ men's basketball team is grateful for their dedication to our community and are looking forward to helping in efforts in the future, including the Angel Tree Christmas Holiday event next month. Any individuals or groups who want to get involved can contact volunteer coordinator Maria Horne at maria.horne@uss.salvationarmy.org.

To stay up to date with all the happenings on your FSCJ BlueWave and more exclusive content, follow us on Instagram and X @FSCJMBB.