Sheriff Earnell Lucas, deputies shop for Thanksgiving staples for Milwaukee-area families

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Two hundred and eighty families were selected to receive a Thanksgiving meal from the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office.

Sheriff Earnell Lucas, along with Milwaukee deputies, personally did the grocery shopping.

We caught up with them at Metcalfe Market Friday, Nov. 19, as they picked out the trimmings and Thanksgiving food staples.

The grocer donated 120 of the turkeys. 

This is the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office's fifth year doing the turkey shopping giveaway event.

Deputies say it's nice to be able to do something positive for the community.

"This is just as great for us as it is going to be for the family," said Deputy Kristine Rodriguez. "I think as a deputy, we take calls for service, but we constantly go to people's bad days, we constantly deal with a lot of negative things that go on in the city. This is our way of breaking that mold and doing something positive."

On Saturday, deputies will give the food and meal kits away to nearly 300 families pre-selected by a variety of community organizations.

It all happens at 10 a.m. at the Washington Park Ecology Center in Milwaukee.